Breathe Me
by Chelseadaggz
Summary: Regina is broken, alone and too tired to fight any longer. Will she do the unthinkable and take her own life to escape the despair that won't leave her or will someone care enough to pull her back from the brink in time? and what happened in Neverland that no one will speak of? Maybe OneShot maybe more, what do you think? Set post-curse, post-neverland Rated T for mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Guys!**

**I just think Regina is such a broken character and everyone can see that but she's never really explored beyond just a slight explanation within the show. I feel like her love for Daniel could've been explored so much more when she had to say goodbye to him again, plus why did no one go back to see if she was okay!? It was kind of like 'Regina's absolutely devastated at the loss of her one true love – **_**again**_**…hmm shame.'**

**Henry just gets away with so much, he's so horrible to her and I understand that is because of her past as 'The Evil Queen' but she's tried so hard to regain his trust and show that she really does love him which is ****beyond**** clear to see! **

**Sorry, I have soooo many Regina feels! :D anywho, this fic…I'm not really sure what's going to happen with it but it will develop into a Regina pairing with someone else…could be SwanQueen, HookedQueen or EvilCharming but I'm not sure which yet, any ideas? **

**This is just an opening chapter to let you know where the story begins and what state Regina is in at the minute…heads up – it's quite dark. ANGST ALERT. **

**Warning: Themes of self-harm and attempted suicide. I do not take these themes lightly as I have personal experience with the damage both can do which is why I am trying my utmost to be as sensitive as possible – no offence or distress is meant by this story.**

_Italics=earlier events/memories_

**Disclaimer – sadly I do not own any of the characters within Once Upon a Time**

_**Help, I have done it again  
I have been here many times before  
Hurt myself again today  
And, the worst part is there's no-one else to blame**_

Be my friend  
Hold me, wrap me up  
Unfold me  
I am small

_Breathe Me - Sia_

She swayed as she stood, still drunk on sleep. Her hand found the wall to steady her and lead her to where she needed to be. The cool wallpaper felt welcoming under her sweat covered palm, her head pounded something wicked. It felt like it was pulsing and only doubled when she flicked the bathroom light on.

The cold tile was a nice change from the almost unbearable warmth of the carpet under her bare feet. She almost tripped over a rogue towel as her hands found the sink keeping her upright. That was strange; she was never one to be messy. Ever. She cast her mind back to earlier on in the evening.

_Relief flooded through her system as she felt the front door of the mansion click shut behind her. Closing her eyes she let her mask shatter completely as she slid her dangerously high black stilettos from her aching feet. She didn't want to open her eyes, to look at the emptiness of the home that seemed to mirror her own, mocking her. She could feel it – loneliness seeping from every available surface threatening to suffocate her. _

_Granted, she should be used to being alone by now but somehow it still loomed over her like some sort of disease and by the way she was treated that's how she felt - like a leper. The townsfolk would be civil enough, nodding their head in acknowledgement if their paths should cross with hers but that all too familiar look of disdain still lingered for too long behind their eyes before it was covered, hidden. _

_She felt a strange warmth within her hands, finally opening her eyes in curiosity she watched as a thin stream of crimson trickle down from her palm creating a small splash as it collided with her laminate flooring. She had been subconsciously clenching her fists, her nails digging into her skin but the pain wasn't noticeable underneath the sheer despair she was feeling. It numbed her senses constantly making her feel like some sort of apparition floating through her pitiful existence. _

_With a sigh of defeat she made her way towards the stairs, her legs were heavy as she lifted them. She had bypassed her kitchen, a usual occurrence nowadays - why eat when she couldn't feel anyway? _

_She was just going through the motions now, barely even living._

_She couldn't put her finger on when this cloud of depression had descended upon her, yes, she knew that's what it was that was causing her to feel this way but who could blame her? Surely everyone suspected it was only a matter of time before she completely broke. After all, that's what they had wanted from the beginning – it had taken her far too long to realize that fact. _

_She had her true love cruelly taken from her at such a tender age, too innocent to recognize the evils within the world and its people. She had come to lift some of the blame from Snow's shoulders after she had helped them return from the Enchanted Forest – she had realized that, although Henry's begging had swayed her hugely, she actually still cared about the woman's well fare. _

_That had changed however when she had tricked Regina into killing her own mother, the townsfolk hadn't been told of this small truth when the story of Cora's death was released. The people who did know however chose to believe that since Snow had tried to stop Regina from doing it in the end (just getting to Gold's shop a little too late) that showed her heart was still pure. Snow also failed to mention to everyone, her charming prince excluded, the darkness Regina had found growing in her heart when she offered herself up to the slaughter. Another point left out of conversation was that Regina did not in fact kill the woman she had spent decades loathing, funny how things work out. _

_She had hoped her ordeal at the hands of the townsfolk would finally end when she gave up her life to save them all from certain death…the outcome of this was postponed when her son was taken by the same man who had subjected her to cold blooded torture when she had told him a false account of his father's demise. She had told him that she had killed his father, willing him to slam his hand upon her way of escape, her salvation. He had and she had almost surrendered completely to the darkness when she was pulled back towards life once more. She hadn't told Greg that she had actually set his father up on the outskirts of the town in a small cottage, erasing the memories of the small boy known as Owen from his tortured mind, leaving him with the chance to live out the rest of his years peacefully. She hadn't meant to rip them apart but as she had once told Henry, she didn't know how to love very well and so loved in the only way she had known, and been shown, how – by force. _

_She had desperately wanted a child but didn't realize that by taking away the one person he still loved, it didn't mean he would then move on and love her. She had learned this lesson once before during her reign as Queen with the fiercely loyal siblings, Hansel and Gretel. They say that 'you don't make the same mistake twice for the second time is a choice.' It hadn't felt like a choice to her at the time, it felt like an unbearable need and in trying to fill the void in her heart she had only made it wider by orphaning a child and making him appear to the rest of the world as deeply disturbed. _

_Something that was different in this new world than in hers was her saving grace – the choice to adopt a child. _

_It had meant that she could obtain a child of her own without having to use force. She had been appalled when Gold had told her of this new found way of procuring a child; she couldn't understand how someone could simply throw away something so precious. She had been accused of being heartless by the inhabitants of her old kingdom but most had recognized her weakness for children – they were the only living creatures that she could not bring herself to harm. _

_When Henry had been placed within her arms she was sure she could never feel as much love for another human being without spontaneously combusting on the spot – she was wrong. _

_As the small infant had grown into a boy, she had taken great care in ensuring he knew just how much she loved him. How much he meant to her and the extent she would go to in showing him this. This once powerful and feared leader now took great pleasure in teaching her son seemingly trivial, but to her exciting, things such as reading, writing, speaking, and walking. Every time he fell, she was there. At night when he cried out she was by his side within seconds holding his small body against her own, rocking him, and soothing him back to sleep. _

_Her heart just seemed to grow bigger with every passing day, every passing smile that he gave her. She could almost literally feel the darkness lifting slowly from her broken heart. His small statements of "I love you mommy" becoming the glue that was pulling the once shattered pieces back together. _

_It was why it hurt all the more when she noticed him slowly pulling away from her, he had suddenly become distant. His age old requests for 'huggles and snuggles' from his favorite person became few and far between and with every fleeting spark of hatred forming behind his eyes that she caught, she could feel the glue holding her heart together beginning to weaken. _

_Obviously it wasn't long before her relationship with Henry became almost non-existent (on his part) and she soon found out when that blonde idiot stumbled into her life turning it upside down. _

Her eyes flashed purple in the mirror pulling out of her reveries, the magic gathering made her feel ever so slightly alive again – but not quite. She could still feel the burning pain of hurt flowing through her veins, feeling almost as if it was beginning to burst from her skin.

_She had blocked out the memory of that god awful place in which she had to venture to on a ship full of people who had caused her the majority of her pain to save her son from the depths and dangers of Neverland. If she was honest with herself she couldn't actually remember what had happened and didn't care to remember because as soon as they had reached Storybrooke once again with Henry in tow her heart had been ripped completely apart. _

"_Uhm, Regina?" Emma had piped up causing the mayor to pull away from embracing her son. _

"_Yes, Miss Swan?" _

_Emma had shifted on the balls of her feet, clearly trying to find a way of wording her next sentence. "Uhm…it's not like we don't appreciate what you did out there but, I hope you don't think this changes anything." Upon Regina's look of confusion Emma continued on, "look, you're still dangerous. What happened out there…it was crazy, it was…I don't know but it wasn't right." Regina had no idea of what she was referring to; her memory for some reason was completely failing her beyond the point of boarding Hook's ship. _

"_I-I D…" she began to question what Emma was talking about when Snow interrupted obviously trying to help her daughter out. _

"_I think what Emma is trying to say Regina is…we don't think you should be around Henry for a while…you're not stable enough. A lot happened back there and I think we all need some space to figure out what it all really means." Snow's face was filled with compassion and…pity. _

_Pity was something Regina loathed but she didn't have time to register it when she finally found Henry's face. It was as if the last few days travel back home hadn't happened for her, she hadn't noticed the fear in his eyes or maybe she had and dismissed it using the excuse of his kidnapping ordeal rather than see what she saw now. He feared her. _

_His eyes had haunted Regina for the past 3 months – she had yet to see her son, his biological family using every excuse in the book to explain why she couldn't take him out for lunch or to see a movie or even to get some hot chocolate from Granny's. _

_She had kept herself out of the way of the world only leaving the mansion when she really needed to, that afternoon she had needed to visit her mausoleum – it was the anniversary of her father's death. The only person, she suspected, had ever truly loved and cared for her – with the exclusion of Daniel of course. She had sat with her hand caressing the cold marble of his coffin and talked to him like she had when he was alive, she told him of her desire to run. Not from Storybrooke but from life. To finally escape the decade's worth of pain she had endured. She used to be strong, so strong but bit by bit her walls had been cracking and had now finally crumbled pitifully to the floor. She was so tired, so tired. _

She could feel the release, the overwhelming sensation causing her breaths to come out in short sharp bursts. The dark mist lifting slightly from her heart with every crimson drop that stained the white marble tiling of her bathroom floor. She allowed herself to look down at her release, the once faded white scar that represented young innocence, friendship and true love was now almost unzipping to allow her soul to climb from its prison, its tomb.

She could feel herself sinking downwards slowly, her breaths deepening as she tumbled willingly into the welcoming darkness. Her vision was clouding beautifully now, she couldn't be sure if it was her cruel mind playing one last trick on her or if it was really happening but she could see him in the doorway, his figure casting a shadow over her. She couldn't see his face due to the rapidly increasing darkness but she could sense him, feel him almost as if he were there holding her like he used to when they would steal forbidden moments in their youthful foolishness believing that true love was powerful enough to save them. Before this world had taken everything it could from her, leaving her an empty vessel.

She felt the sensation of being lifted and smiled weakly before everything went black.

**Could be a oneshot but could be so much more…please let me know if I should continue? I'm going to write another chapter but I'll leave it to you lovely people to decide whether or not I should continue.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so I knew I was going to carry this on anyway because it's kind of writing itself. I will carry on with my other fics bu I felt this needed to be written. **

**This chapter brings Rumpel on board and will explain a little more about what happened in Neverland between Hook and Regina but will not reveal why everyone is so apprehensive to have Henry near Regina – that's for later chapters.**

**I have now decided that it will be a…wait for it…HOOKEDQUEEN fanfic because I think their characters just fit so well with each other. Plus they're both drop dead gorgeous so that helps things along! **

These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase

_My Immortal – Evanescence_

A white hot pain seared through her chest as her lungs were permitted the air they craved so badly, she felt a rushing sensation as if she was being thrown forward. Air was thundering past her ears at a frightening pace.

"Stem the blood flow!" she could hear, it was distant but she was able to make it out. The voice, although raised, was absent of any emotion other than frustration. "I don't care what you think; she will NOT be dying here."

Dread flooded through her system as she finally realized that the voice was coming closer dragging her closer to the surface and it was sure enough that of Doctor Whale. She felt the hard surface underneath her and came to the conclusion that she had been strapped to a gurney and judging by the stomach turning smell of disinfectant, she was being rushed through the corridors of the hospital. She couldn't bring herself to open her eyes, to catch the pity on the faces of those she loathed - the victims of her curse.

She felt the nausea building within her and began to wretch.

"Doctor, she's convulsing."

Her body was going in to shock, she was wracked with tremors. The clenching of her muscles reminded her bitterly of her evening with Greg strapped to something quite similar, subjected to electricity coursing through her veins. She was quite relieved however to find that the familiar burn was not present, in fact it had been replaced by what felt like ice coursing through her system.

The moving had stopped but her body carried on of its accord, the strap across her arms was the only thing keeping her from flying from the gurney involuntarily. She could feel the sweat dripping down from her furrowed brow and onto her cheeks where they merged with the tears of agony that were escaping from her closed eyes.

The agony was not due to the ice cold knives that were penetrating her every sense, it was due to the simple fact that she could still feel, she could still hear – she was still alive.

Who the hell had found her!? She'd been left alone all of these months, she'd been allowed to carry on living through her ordeal without disturbance yet the one time, perhaps the only time she came to realize, that she actually wanted to be alone someone had come. If she hadn't been in so much pain she would've surely laughed at the cruelness of the Fates.

She had known that she had gone against them more times than imaginable by evading their inevitable attempts at cutting her life thread, instead fraying it down to a mere slither of fabric waiting to snap at any moment – she had thought that moment would have been this evening, she had practically offered her blood up to them freely drawing it from her own body. No, they were cruel beings themselves and wouldn't dare to allow her the happy ending she had now set her sights on – the freedom of death.

She felt a slight sting of something on her neck whilst her mind began mercifully to cloud over once more, just before she was consumed by unconsciousness again, the figure that had been shadowing her doorway flashed behind her eyes. She had, in the moment, assumed it was Daniel – come to help her on her way into oblivion but she had noticed something off about the shape. No, surely not. Had she made out the shape of a…Hook?

"_TELL ME!" He growled, the sound echoed throughout the shop. The glass beneath him shattered as his hook collided with the cabinet in his rage. His breath was heavy and labored. He was beginning to feel the sensation of light-headedness until he forced himself to inhale a deep breath through his nose, hold it for a couple of seconds to then exhale it back slowly from his mouth. _

"_Now now dearie, calm yourself. I don't much plan on having to rouse a pirate from unconsciousness, especially not one such a you." Mr. Gold taunted, holding out on Hook for his own pleasure. With a sigh and a glance at the pirates unwavering anger he continued on, "I don't have the answers you seek. Don't be so shocked dearie; you know what she's like." His demeanor changed slightly as the image of the mayor flashed behind his brown eyes which seemed to flash with a sliver of respect before he could stop himself. _

"_That woman has surpassed all of my expectations of her, the power within her that I helped to nurture in her younger years is much stronger than I had anticipated. She had absorbed not one but two killing curses within the space of only a few months that what happened in Neverland does not surprise me whatsoever. All of that residual energy had to surface at one point or another." _

_Killian had been listening intently to the crocodile, "well then how did it come to involve me? I've absorbed no such curses and yet I-" _

_He was interrupted by the imp, "yes, yes I know what happened but you have to also take into account your own past." He eyed the pirate waiting for an interruption but when none came he continued. "As much as you may protest at my comparison, you and our dear Queen are not so different." He held up a hand as Killian's mouth opened to no doubt argue with Rumpel's statement. _

"_You both had your true loves taken from you early on." _

"_No thanks to you Crocodile!" Killian couldn't help but spit. _

"_Ah, ah, ah dearie. Don't change the subject." He retaliated with a sly wink causing the pirate's blood to boil furiously. "As I was saying – the loss of your true loves is what inevitably sent you both into this downward spiral of unadulterated vengefulness, now true love is a form of magic in itself. The couple does not need to be magically endowed to feel it for it is a blessing, a gift if you will. It can't be forced or faked but it also can't be stopped. A connection is formed between the two recipients and can only be severed in death." At Killian's wince he continued on. "Now, this connection is actually more physical than it is emotional. It literally binds the souls together meaning that you are able to feel what the other is feeling, be that happiness or sadness, pleasure or pain."_

"_This all sounds so beautiful mate but could you get to the point." The pirate interrupted, patience was never something he valued much. _

"_Without this knowledge, dearie." He spat through clenched teeth, "there is no way you will be able to come to any understanding of what happened between you and Regina that night! So can I continue?" With a small, begrudged nod he carried on. "When a person's true love is ripped away from them so suddenly…part of their soul is taken as well – torn down the middle if you will, quite literally." _

_Killian openly scoffed at this suggestion. _

"_You are going to tell me that after all you have seen in this life, all that you have felt…your soul is complete?" at Killian's flinch he smiled, "didn't think so. Anyway, a soul cannot continue on without it's other half and will continue to search for the solution. Regina's and your searching has been put off due to your shared rage and devastations within life and so your soul's mission was…how can I say this?...put on hold for a while, until…" at this he veered off leaving the pirate to his obviously troubled thoughts. _

_After a few moments Killian spoke up, "are you suggesting that…no, that's ridiculous. I cannot stand that woman. There's no way that she could ever be my-" _

"_What? Your twue woveee?" cooed the imp menacingly, "that is not what I witnessed dearie. You can look as scandalized as you wish boy but I'd have a re-think about the night in question." With a knowing smirk he turned and limped into the back of his shop leaving Killian more confused than when he had arrived. _

_He breathed in the welcome chill that greeted him as he left the crocodile's shop; fragments of their conversation were flying through his head at a dizzying pace. _

_Killian sighed as he began on his way towards the mayoral mansion; he hadn't realized the imp had paid such close attention to them whilst onboard his ship but clearly he must have witnessed something. _

_**On first meeting the Queen, not that he'd ever admit it, he was fearful. He had heard many a warning about her. The most common warning being about the Queen's physical appearance more than anything.**_

_**Do not get entranced by her beauty. The Queen was said to be almost other-worldly in her sheer beauty. She had the ability to stop a man's heart with just one smile. Her hair was dark – almost black – and had always been pulled into an intricate design to frame her face beautiful. Her clothes, probably the most essential part of her allure, showed her slim but impossibly womanly figure perfectly. The rumor was that many a man had been robbed of his sight when his eyes fell too far below the Queen's face. **_

_**Her lips were said to have been crafted by angels, perfectly full and pulled into a mouthwatering pout. Then there were her eyes. Men would talk for days on end about her eyes. They were quite literally the windows to her soul – it was said that if you were lucky and looked closely enough, you could see the beauty of the soul that remained trapped underneath the magic that had taken a hold on her mind and body. There were very few that could boast witnessing this though. Killian could. **_

_**After he had been caught breaking into the palace, and he had not been killed contrary to popular belief, he had formed a sort of alliance with the Queen. It was in small moments in which they were plotting that he caught the vulnerability in her eyes – only for a quick second, but he had seen it. **_

_**She was well known for being a talented seductress and had, on many occasions, tried to have her way with Killian. Now normally, being a pirate, he would've complied and satisfied the witch's needs but he could never shake the image of the brokenness that he had glimpsed in her eyes from his mind and so couldn't go through with it. **_

_**In Storybrooke he had witnessed this side of her being toyed with by her own mother of all people, that was just sick but at the time he had needed her help if he was to carry out his long awaited revenge upon Rumpelstiltskin. This was also why he had offered her up to that mad man Greg – the memory still brought bile burning into his throat. **_

_**He had agreed to take them to Neverland as his penance. He wanted to show this woman that he truly was sorry and wanted to make it up to her, although he didn't know why. He'd done many a selfish thing in his time without batting an eyelid but there was something about her that pulled him in, making him want to be better – for her. **_

"_**Kindly stop watching me dear, surprisingly I don't like being gawked at." Came her low growl. She hadn't bothered to turn her head to look at him, she didn't need to – she could feel him. **_

_**He thought he had been safe from her view, hidden by the shadow of the night sky. He should've known better. "Well, can you blame me love. I'm used to seeing some pretty amazing sights upon this ship but you," he breathed out heavily, "well, you're something completely different." **_

_**She could feel his lustful gaze upon her back and although she could feel the shiver making it's deceitful way down her spine, she made absolutely sure that he wouldn't see pick up on it. **_

"_**Come now, something tells me you are definitely not a stranger to compliments – why so shy?" he drawled closing the distance between them to stand at her side at the bow of the ship. The night sky reflected from the sea made sight-seeing impossible but he knew why she was here looking out, it was the same reason he had made his way up from his quarters. "I'm sorry," he started, gaining a look of surprise from Regina, "old habits die hard love." **_

_**At her questioning gaze he continued on, "look, this will work." He grasped her small, cold hands within his and was surprised when she didn't pull them away. **_

_**Those deep brown eyes he could read so well found his own, searching. "How do you know that for sure? What if…what if we never find him? Emma's still coming to terms with her magic and I don't know if I still have it in me. Absorbing the power of the trigger almost killed me; I don't feel like…me anymore." She cursed inwardly at the rogue tear trailing down her cheek, moving to take her hand from Killian's to wipe it but was stopped by the feeling of a calloused thumb softly caressing her face. **_

"_**You," he turned her to face him fully so that she could see the sincerity of his words, "are the strongest," he placed a soft kiss to her forehead, "bravest," one to her nose, "beautiful," a kiss to her cheek, "determined and most loving mothers," a kiss to her other cheek, "I have ever witnessed." Before she could stop him, and he realized, before he could stop himself he leaned down to capture her lips with his own. They remained unmoving for what felt like an eternity until he felt her pull back from his embrace enough to look him in the eye once again. She didn't have to tell him how she felt; he could see it clear as day. As another tear threatened to spill from her eyes, he found her neck with his hand and pulled her gently into him, holding her whilst she drank in his scent. **_

_**Both drunk on common need neither was receptive enough to hear the crackle within the air or see the purple sparks beginning to fly from her clenched fists that rested upon his strong back, at this moment in time they were content enough to just be. **_

_That was the first time that Killian had actually discovered the pure need he felt for this woman, the want to protect her from the evils of the world – ironic really. _

_The regal, white mansion finally came into sight although all lights were off. He glanced down at the time piece attached to his belt – 7:36pm. Strange. _

_He continued up towards the door, the gold number 108 shining menacingly at him. He felt extremely uneasy although he wasn't sure why. He gave a short, sharp succession of knocks on the door and waited. Nothing. He tried again. _

_After what felt like an eternity, although it was only around 4 minutes, he was about to turn away content with having the uncomfortable conversation with Regina tomorrow but was stopped. He didn't know what it was, he hadn't heard a sound from within the mansion but as he turned back he found his hand was already on the doorknob. With a push he found it to be open, she had to be here then. _

_As he stepped into the foyer he found the silence to be almost suffocating, he found himself slowly walking through the rooms of the eerily quiet house in search of its occupant. _

"_Regina…" he called out, he didn't want to shout too loud in case she had simply fallen asleep, deep down he knew this wasn't to be the case. _

_Finding downstairs to be empty, he slowly made his way upstairs. His Hook scraped along the wooden banister giving him extra support as he made his ascension. There were many rooms along the carpeted corridor but a slither of yellowed light spilling onto the floor of the end room told him where he needed to be. _

"_Regina?" he called once again, hoping with all of his soul that when he rounded the corner he would find her sleeping peacefully within her bed. He couldn't have been more wrong. _

_The sheets were bunched up at the end of the bed, she was here then. The light that had spilled onto the carpet was fragmented somewhat by the bathroom door. He wasn't sure whether to knock but upon hearing her breathes he threw open the door. His heart stopped in his chest. _

_She was facing away from him but her face was reflected in the mirror giving him a clear view of her. Her eyes were closed, her brow furrowed as she let out short, sharp breaths. He could see her arms were bent at the elbows, her head bowed to look at something below her. He followed her gaze. Blood. _

_He felt like time had slowed down, everything seemed to be in slow motion. He could see the crimson river beginning to pool at her feet; she turned ever so slowly bringing her arms down with her and then he saw it. _

_The blood ran from the deep laceration on her wrist, down her fingertips and onto the floor. Her eyes were still closed as she sank lower to the white marble tiles. Her eyes had slowly opened but he wished they hadn't. _

_Although they had always been filled with some sort of despair or, on occasion, a look of pure haunting a flicker of light had constantly shone from them – that light, he now discovered, was hope. It was no longer there, the sheer emptiness of them was what pulled Killian out of his shock and sent him barreling towards her. _

_As he knelt to scoop her worryingly frail body into his hands he was sure he caught a weak smile forming on her beautifully broken face but as quickly as it had appeared it was gone – he wasn't sure whether it was an omen or a blessing but as he began to rise with her in his arms her eyes closed and a look of pure peace filled her features. _

"_It's okay my love, you're safe now." _


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm overwhelmed by the response to this story, two chapters and the amount of reviews, favourites and follows is amazing plus big thanks to fyeahkillianjones on Tumblr for recommending my little story - it means the absolute world! **

**Okay so this will turn into a HookedQueen fix but I kind of wanted to let you in on what happened so far so you know where Regina's head is at the moment. **

**This chapter focuses on the Blue Fairy's first visit with young Regina - I'm not really sure about the actual prophecy I came up with if I'm happy with it or not but hey ho - I am, however, happy with the rest of the chapter ****:)****  
Please enjoy and remember - reviews are like chocolate, my addiction needs feeding!**

_I am well suited  
for erasing  
Fading into hazy  
I'm sinking strong_

Emily Osment - Drift

"How is she?" She could hear the soft voice but couldn't open her eyes, she didn't have to though - she knew who it was.

"She's stable - she'd lost a lot of blood, if he hadn't brought her in when he did then...well, you know." Doctor Whale didn't have to spell it out. Unsurprisingly there was no compassion or sympathy within his words - 'good' she thought bitterly to herself, she could not stand pity in any shape or form, it made her blood boil.

Her head was swimming, trying to entice her into falling back into her deep sleep but she wanted to hear what this woman had to say. This woman who was supposed to be the epitome of hope, love and kindness - the woman you called upon for help when life became too much. She had helped that idiotic bug become what he was, to escape from his lecherous family without the blink of an eye. She had sensed his despair and come to the rescue allowing him to live a life free of evil and pain - a life that was simply free.

"You seem tired doctor." There came her sickeningly sweet voice once again, "perhaps you should take a break."

He seemed to consider her words for a moment, "thank you Blue, I think I'll grab some coffee from the canteen - I won't be long." Regina heard him leave and felt a small hand turn her arm over so her palm was facing the ceiling. She could feel what must be the bandages covering her cut being moved backwards - she guessed morphine must be the reason she couldn't feel too much pain but the close proximity of the fairy unnerved her to no end.

A breathy laugh in her ear caused her skin to feel aflame, she didn't flinch - she couldn't, her body felt like it was in hibernation.

"I warned you of this day." Came the voice laced with venom. "All those years ago when I came to you, I knew it. I could feel the evil surrounding your soul waiting to be let in and now, well now you pay your penance."

_The moonlight cascading in from her open window gave the girl an almost translucent appearance. _

_Her arms were wrapped around her silk covered knees with her head resting on her arm. Her shoulders shook violently as she cried silently, making sure as not to make a sound for if she did things could get much worse. _

_The pain she felt in her wrist was nothing compared to that in her heart. She rocked slowly back and forth in a futile attempt to soothe her innocent soul, a gesture that should be performed by a loving mother as a comfort to their child - this was because of her mother. _

_She could feel the ache within her cheekbone, it was nothing she hadn't felt before and she was sure she would most definitely feel it again. _

_A slight icy wind danced around her, the window hadn't been open when she was brought into her room. She slowly lifted her head from her arms, her puffy tear filled eyes caused the small vision in front of her to appear blurred but she could make out the shape of a woman - a fairy. _

_Hope filled her heart, she had been told stories of the beautiful creatures that saved lives, helped those most unfortunate and gave nothing but kindness to those who needed them. _

_She brought trembling hands to her eyes to wipe away the last remnants of her sorrow. _

_"A-are you, forgive me if I'm w-wrong" she choked out, "are you a...f-fairy?" _

_The small woman became clearer as Regina's eyes adjusted to the contrast of the dark room and the fairies luminous blue aura. _

_"Yes child. I am the Blue Fairy." She said, her tone of voice however was not filled with the warmth that Regina had come to expect. She sensed something else though her young mind couldn't work out what it was. _

_Blue regarded the young girl that sat in front of her, the Queen size bed made her look even smaller than what she was. She noticed the dark circles that framed her wide deep brown eyes, her face was gaunt and pale. The darkening mark could be seen even in the dark of the room sitting on her pronounced cheekbone. _

_A shiver ran down her spine as she noticed how thin this girl was, her collarbone jutted out from beneath her buttons him shirt. Her frail arms looked like they could spontaneously snap at any given moment, her bony wrists were covered in bruises - the most obvious ones were clearly the most recent, blue and purple marks on olive skin, she also noticed the older yellowing marks that made their way up her arms before disappearing under the cover of her shirt sleeves. She gasped slightly as her eyes trailed up Regina's body and found her neck to be in the same state as her arms, on either side were similar bruises clearly made by fingers. Her faith in the prophecy was starting to waver slightly but she had a kingdom to protect, she couldn't let her heart lead her mind in this matter, too many lives were at stake._

_Regina shifted forward onto her knees and placed her hands on her lap to stop them shaking. She had watched anxiously as the fairy had raked her eyes over her battered and broken form, normally she would've used the cover of darkness and her blankets to hide the marks but she knew what this woman did for people, how she saved them.  
_

_"Have you c-come to help me?" The hours of sobbing had taken its toll on her voice, hiccups interrupting her sentences. _

_The Blue Fairy drew further away from the young girl, the sheer innocence in Regina's eyes had shocked her but she could still feel the darkness radiating from the girl and knew she had to leave some if she were to keep her resolve. _

_"No child, I have not." she answered shortly, wincing as the devastation began its decent onto Regina's features. She pulled herself back together and carried on. "I have come with a warning." _

_"I know what you are, what you will become." The confusion replaced devastation which gave the fairy pause but she continued on in spite of her instincts. "There is a prophecy foretelling the sheer destruction you will enact upon this land, the lives you will take and the evil you will unleash." _

_Regina inhaled sharply, her lungs felt as if they were collapsing in on themselves, not only was this fairy not helping her - she scorning her for something she knew she wasn't nearly capable of. _

_"w-what prophecy?" the terror in her eyes was almost blindingly evident. _

_The fairy seemed to lift herself higher into the air as if trying to remain in power, a brief look of sympathy crossed her features until it was replaced with that of foreboding as she began reciting the age old prophecy._

_**"As the dust settles upon the earth,  
She will rise from evil birth.  
A King will die, a child shall flee,  
None shall reign as strong as she.  
The land will perish, darkness shall come  
To save our souls there is but one." **_

_Regina had been listening intently to this, waiting for the part that made clear that it was she the prophecy had been forewarning against. The fairy stopped speaking and simply watched the young girl once again. _

_"I'm sorry...but how is that anything to do with me?" the relief in her voice was evident and was close to breaking the fairies already trying heart. _

_**"Raven hair with eyes the same,  
Innocent life and supple frame.  
The day will come, her heart shall break,  
One wrong turn this girl shall take.  
The scales of right and wrong shall begin to tip,  
When hand comes across cheek and scar above lip." **_

_Regina touched the healing cut above her top lip and shakily let out the breath she had been holding. _

_**"Her heart shall darken  
No matter how she tries  
The hour will come  
When her true love dies." **_

_Her hands flew to her now wide open mouth as tears filled her eyes. "No!" she cried, her eyes pleading with the fairy. "not him, not my-" she couldn't utter his name.  
Her hands flew out towards the fairy as she scrambled forward choking back sobs,"please!" she all but screamed._

_The fairy simply moved backwards in the air staring down upon the desperate young girl, she could do nothing for her. The darkness was there waiting to take over, the prophecy warned of it and the fairy came to give her own warning. _

_"I have come to warn you Regina that...although now you don't understand what I have told you, one day you will." her resolve was strengthening now as she recalled the vision that had flashed through her mind earlier this morning. Bodies littering the forest floor, men, women and most disturbingly of all - children. _

_"You can fight this prophecy, you can fight the darkness and you have to. For the sake of all of this realm and others - you must give in for if you do," she stopped to make sure she had the young girls full attention, "terrible things will happen and mark my words." she flew closer to Regina so she could see up close the power of the fairies next words, "I will make sure you pay your penance." _

The words seemed to echo in her mind even as she heard the woman move away from her ear and heard her footsteps rebounding off of the hospital linoleum. She had been just a child crying for help yet that woman, that fairy that preached the importance of being brave, honest and true abandoned Regina, left her with just a few words that had broken her already battered heart. In Regina's mind she was as much to blame for the creation of the Evil Queen as Rumpelstiltskin was.

She could feel consciousness seeping back into her tired form, slowly she opened her eyes and found the room to have a slight grey hue to it. It couldn't be later than 6am. She was brought abruptly out of her pondering when a smooth as silk voice floated in from the open door.

"Quite the charmer that fairy isn't she." Hook didn't move from the doorway. He didn't seem able to look her in the eye, instead he settled for settling his gaze on the spot on the bed where her legs ended.

"you- you brought me here."

He was shocked to find that instead of appreciation in her tone, he found it to be full of venom. "yes love, I did."

He noticed her brow furrowing as she tried to lift herself into a sitting position, he sensed she wouldn't have wanted him to touch her but he couldn't help himself. He wanted, no needed, to feel the life flowing through her once more. He needed to feel her warmth once again to replace the memory of her cold, limp body in his hands. He was glad that her beautiful brown eyes were once again open but couldn't bring himself to look into them, purely for fear of seeing the emptiness that lay there still and most of all...the disappointment. It broke his heart that she still thought what she did was her only option and was angry that she had been mercifully saved.

"why?" she asked ripping herself weakly from his hold. He noticed the bandage on her arm had slipped slightly from the fairies touch and his eyes locked onto the deep red laceration that lay beneath it, so raw just like its maker.

"I could ask you the same question."


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay so, time for character reactions. First is Emma. I'm going to write about the different emotions going through her head after Whale calls her to deliver the news of Regina's attempted suicide – he's done this simply so that Emma can try and explain to Henry what has gone on. This will also play a major part in this chapter, Emma's still trying to get to grips with parenting and things like these are obviously not experienced by most mothers so it's even trickier for Emma. **

**I want to say now that (even though nobody has implied it) I am not bashing any characters in this story (except maybe the Blue Fairy but I showed that she also has a heart…sort of…not really. I don't really like her as you can probably tell but that is for a different time!), all of the characters that Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz have created are absolute genius and I know there is method to their madness which is why I'm hoping that they have put Regina through all this hell so that she has the biggest happy ending of all! (most likely not but my wounded heart can hope!)**

**Anywho, thank you once again for the amazing reaction to my story and I hope you continue to enjoy it as we embark on this (hopefully long) journey.**

**Love to the Evil Regals x**

**All mistakes are my own.**

**12:30am**

"Goddamn it Regina!" she slammed the phone down in frustration, "what were you thinking?" she directed the question to the open air in front of her. Emma threw her head down onto her folded arms which rested up the kitchen counter, it hadn't been long since she had put Henry to bed with a story and bid her parents goodnight. She was going about her nightly routine of watching trashy television and raiding the cupboards. It was something she had done many years ago in her children's home and many a foster parents' house, she'd done it simply out of habit ever since.

Her long blonde curls tickled her newly exposed armpits, normally she would've thrown it to the side as she hated the sensation but there were too many emotions flowing throughout her body to really register the feeling.

First came the anger, she saw red. How could she do this to Henry!? All she ever talked about was wanting to change for him, wanting to be a better person so she could regain his love, this was sure a funny way of going about it. Sure, he more often than not told her that he never wanted to see her again, that she was evil and sometimes even going as far as telling Regina that he hated her but he was just a kid, surely she knew he didn't actually mean it? Of course he loved her. She had raised him for the past 11 years of his life as her own; Emma had seen the genuine love and adoration radiating from Regina whenever her son was around so why do this?

A flash of suspicion was next, was this a way to guilt tripping him into going with her? Was she really this manipulative and conniving a person? The suspicion faded however when she remembered what Whale had said, she couldn't remember the conversation exactly because of her shock, it had felt like she had been eavesdropping on someone else's phone call – hearing only the important pieces of information but not paying attention to how they were built up into actual structured sentences. He had said things like "_lucky to be alive," _and _"any later and she wouldn't have made it."_ The inflection was placed expertly in all the right places by the Doctor but Emma could tell his heart wasn't in it. Emma had the creeping suspicion that the only reason he actually helped her was through his own guilt in his small partaking that was no doubt one of the many events that had led Regina to think that this was her only option.

The pity that came with this thought almost suffocated Emma, no one could argue that Emma's life had been nothing but rosy but compared to Regina's? Emma would rather relive her past a thousand times over after all, look at where was now. She was living in an apartment with the parents she had thought for years had carelessly abandoned her but had actually done so to save everyone, it was in fact always part of the plan that Emma would find her way to Storybrooke thanks to a certain scheming imp of a man. She had found and reconnected with the son she had never thought she'd see again after she had unwillingly given him up for adoption. No matter how many times she had whined about her imperfect past, she wouldn't change a second of it if it meant giving up what she had now. Emma had never actually thought of Regina's childhood, in all honesty she couldn't imagine the stoic mayor ever being young but Snow had told her she was beautiful.

Beautiful in every possible way that was, her physical beauty didn't need pointing out to anyone with a pair of working eyes, not even Regina herself but apparently she had saved Snow's life once with no thought to her own safety.

Her mother had practically glowed when she had agreed to tell Emma the story, if only to shut her up. She had taken Emma's hands and led her to the couch in the apartment, a bit cliché in Emma's opinion but she let that fly from sheer excitement of hearing a snippet of Snow and Regina's past – she didn't know why but it had always fascinated her. She supposed it was due to the fact that Regina hated the kindest and sometimes most sickeningly cutesy woman Emma had ever known and she couldn't understand how. It perhaps didn't help that her parents were completely biased when it came to Regina and so she had only heard one side of the story but come on, it's not as if Regina was ever going to invite Emma over for a slumber party to exchange stories and braid each other's hair. The thought had made Emma laugh aloud and when her mother had questioned her she just encouraged her on to tell her tale.

Snow's eyes had lit up when she had told minute for minute of her ordeal – how one minute she had been listening to Johanna's soothing voice and the next she was practically flying through a field fearing the worst. She ran through every emotion and told the story in such great detail that Emma felt as though she was actually there, the image was so vivid in her mind. She could see the lush green grass, feel the wind whipping at her hair, and feel the fear in her mother's young heart.

Now came the part that Emma found hard to imagine, she couldn't quite picture the Regina her mother was describing. A long dark braid flowing down her lower back, her soothing words telling Snow that 'the only way to overcome fear is to face it.' Hmm…pretty rich coming from someone who cast a curse because she couldn't face the fact that her mother and father had rightfully taken back Snow's kingdom and found happiness once again, coward. The gleam in her mother's eyes when she described Regina however forced Emma to swallow the barbed comment.

"She really was beautiful. She was so full of life and, at the time I obviously didn't realise it, love. She was so unburdened, so free and happy and…I took it all away from her."

Emma had heard the story a million times from many different sources; Henry who's information came from a book that she had never trusted seeing as no one knew who had actually written it. David, who was obviously extremely biased due to the whole true love thing and from her mother who's words were always filled with guilt and, even though Emma didn't like to admit it, self-pity. She could understand that Snow was young and perhaps didn't know any better but…wasn't she around the same age as Henry is now? Emma knew that if she were to ask Henry, or anyone were to ask him for that matter, it would take a lot more than a fly by comment about the importance of family to get him to spill. That kid was strong, a trait she supposed he learned from his adoptive mother.

This, Daniel's murder, was the event that changed everything. Well, that was what Henry assumed because of his book but Snow told a different story, she told of how kind and loving a step-mother Regina had been even in the early years of her marriage to the King, then slowly as the years went by, the fire and life that Snow admired so much and strived to live up to begin to die out and she could never understand why.

Emma, having had the rough upbringing that she did, was aware of what may have caused Regina's slow breakdown, it was obvious to someone who wanted to see it but understandably Snow wouldn't have thought her beloved father could so such a thing. She couldn't see that, with the exception of Daniel who was now gone forever, Regina had only suffered abuse at the hands of other people – her controlling mother and now her abuser, the King.

It made Emma's stomach turn to think that this man whom everyone thought to be kind and loving, her Grandfather for god sake, could force Regina into his bed and do what he pleased with her. If her facts were correct, Regina couldn't have been much over 18 when she had been forced to marry the King and Snow couldn't understand why Emma didn't want to live there? The place was messed up.

Emma had never really thought about Regina's past, why would she? Normally she was too busy trying to avoid being killed by the brunette either directly or simply from her death glares – didn't leave much time for thinking. But all jokes aside, Emma could see why Regina was the way she was, she didn't know any better. Emma had always, begrudgingly, acknowledged the similarities between herself and the former Evil Queen. They both had been damaged by their past experiences and had reacted to life's events accordingly.

The last feeling that hit Emma was guilt and not the self-pitying variety – actual, genuine, hole in the heart guilt. She knew, as did Regina, that they were just pawns in Rumpelstiltskin's fucked up plans but it didn't change the fact that Emma had turned her back on Regina more times than she should have, she used her trump card as Henry's biological mother to better her and that was wrong, she knew it. She knew Regina would scoff at her guilt and comment on the fact that Emma was delusional if she felt herself so important to believe that she played any part in the brunette's misery. No, she didn't directly partake in the breaking of Regina but she had used Henry to and had failed to notice the effort the woman had been putting in – she had saved hers and Mary Margaret's life when they had almost flew head on into a killing curse, she still had no idea how Regina had managed to take in all of that energy without a single side effect, she had however suspected something when the mayor had retreated into her house for a good few weeks afterwards. Thinking back she had thanked Regina and that had been genuine but…had she asked the most simple but perhaps the most potent question, are you okay? It was three simple words that took little effort but she hadn't bothered to ask, neither had anyone else in town – they had just gone on their merry way to the diner. "I'm such a shitty person sometimes." Emma groaned into her arms.

"Did you break the toaster again?" Emma's heart almost exploded in her chest as she leapt from the stool as if she had been shocked by it.

"H-Henry!" she tried to regain the ability to breathe again. "Jesus kid, could you like…I don't know, make a noise or something before you do that?!"

Henry suppressed a laugh at the terrified expression on his mother's face, she was too easy sometimes. He had been stood there for a while wondering whether she was asleep or hung over. When she had mumbled to herself after what had seemed like an eternity he realized that she was in fact awake, he was confused as to what she had actually been doing then.

"Sorry mom." He took her unoccupied seat and stared at her with open curiosity, he noticed the way she looked almost anywhere but at him – this was more than the fact that he scared her, the fear he had noticed on her face hadn't left. Something was up.

"What's wrong?" She felt cornered; she hadn't had time to think of how to go about telling her son this. How do you tell someone that a person they love, whether they care to admit it or not, had tried to…she couldn't even think of how to put into words what Regina had done? 'Commit suicide' seemed too cold and impersonal, like they were reading about some stranger in the newspaper or hearing about it on the news, completely devoid of any human emotion.

She was also hoping that her parents would have awoken before Henry so that she could inform them as well, Snow would know what to do.

As if reading her mind, her parents walked into the room eyeing both Henry and Emma suspiciously. Neither were usually up this early, usually they had to be dragged kicking and screaming from their beds. Snow caught the frantic look in her daughter's eyes and furrowed her brow; she walked over and placed her hands on Henry's shoulders who she found to be equally as confused.

"Henry, you wanna go with you Grandpa and pick us up some breakfast from Granny's?" she shot a warning look to David as he opened his mouth to question her, thankfully he picked up on her expression and said nothing.

"Uhm, okay but will you tell me what's wrong when I get back? I don't like it when you're like this, reminds me of when we thought Archie had died…no one's died have they?" the panic was evident in his voice.

Emma's stomach dropped, she had to swallow to push down the bile that had risen into her throat. "No, Henry…nobody's died and yes, we'll talk when you get back."

She held her breath as she watched him gather his coat and scarf from the coat stand beside the door, normally she would've found humour in the fact that her father and her son were going to Granny's in nothing more than their pyjamas but she couldn't bring the smile to her face, she just prayed that no one else had heard of Regina's situation.

As the door closed she felt her mother's eyes burning into her face, she didn't know when it had started but she found her head to be shaking of its own volition and her hands to be trembling. Her lip began to quiver as her chest began to constrict.

"Oh, Emma!" Snow reached her daughter in time to catch her from falling to her knees on the hard floor. She held her shaking form in her arms and rocked her back and forth; her heart ached as she thought of the irony of being able to soothe her baby girl at her now more mature state.

"I..I" she couldn't speak, her words caught in her throat unable to escape from her lips.

"Shhh now, it's okay. You don't have to speak." Snow stroked a hand through blonde waves trying to think of what could bring on such a strong reaction.

Emma's sobs quietened as she felt the long awaited comfort that could only be felt in a mother's embrace. She pulled back slowly and looked into Snow's sympathetic eyes.

"I have to tell you something, but…" she looked towards the couch, "you're gonna need to sit down for this."


	5. Chapter 5

**This one carries on from the last chapter, it's time to tell Henry – I didn't really know how to go about this so I literally just started writing and let the words come to me. I'm not really sure if it's good or not but I think I've done the best I can. Please feel free to let me know what you think – good or bad, I'm a big girl, I can take it **

**This chapter is shorter than the others but I think I needed to end it where I have so that the plot can begin to move ahead in the next chapter – I've left Regina and Hook alone in that hospital room for too long – she's got some explaining to do. **

"Snow – Snow, please I need you to calm down for me! Please!" Emma cried, her own tears falling freely down her face and hitting the hard wooden floor beneath her. "I don't know what to do." Her body was still shaking, it felt like someone had turned her onto vibrate mode. She could hear the choked sobs coming from beside her but couldn't gather the strength to look up.

After hearing what had happened Snow had worked through a mixture of reactions, first was utter shock. She had taken to staring into space mutely effectively freaking Emma completely out as she lost herself in her thoughts. Then came the anger, "No, she does not get to go out like that!" her fist had connected with the wooden beam surprising Emma when it splintered slightly at her mother's strong hand. After hearing the dull thud again Emma had gripped Snow by the shoulders and brought her back down to sit, she had addressed the broken, bleeding skin of her mother's knuckles and cleaned and dressed them accordingly.

She was now sat next to the shaking, rocking, sobbing form of Snow White; she mirrored Emma's first reaction when Henry had left but Emma didn't have the time to wait for her to snap out of it. They needed to get on the same page before Henry returned, they needed a plan.

At her daughter's desperate plea, Snow seemed to resurface from her sorrow.

"I-I'm sorry Emma, I just c-can't understand how…" she trailed off; Emma placed a gentle hand upon her knee and looked into her tear filled eyes with a set of her own.

"I know but we have time to think about that later, right now…" Emma's chest tightened as she thought of how they were going to have to break Henry's heart. "…we need to figure out how to tell Henry."

Snow's breathing quickened as she panicked, "how the hell do you even begin to explain to an eleven year old that his mother tried to take her own life and is now lying broken in the hospital!?"

"WHAT?!" Both women jumped in their seats and looked to the open door of the apartment. Henry stood with tear filled eyes in the doorway, two white paper bags lay drooping on the ground either side of him – in his shock he had obviously dropped them. The two women had been so caught up in their emotional upheaval that they hadn't heard the sound of the key turning in the lock or the creaking of the wooden door to alert them to their arrival home.

"Henry..." Emma began but quickly found she didn't know how to speak anymore, the devastation that was dominating his features broke her already tender heart.

"Sh-She what?" His innocent eyes searched Emma's hoping to find that this was some sort of sick joke but he had inherited her ability to detect a lie. Snow was just as mute as Emma, unable to find any words to comfort her Grandson. David stood just behind Henry in the doorway with an unreadable expression on his face.

Sharp intakes of breath brought the two women out of their silence, "Henry," Emma lunged forward to catch her son in her tight hold, "come on, she's going to be fine." She felt him begin to shake against her and felt his tears beginning to soak into her tank top, there was no sound however – she always found that this form of crying was the most painful, so painful that you weren't even able to find release by screaming out your despair, it stayed trapped within your chest, agonizingly so. "Come on, let it out." She felt him sink lower towards the floor, his small arms hung limply by his sides. "Hey kid…" the lump in her throat was almost suffocating, "Hey…" she allowed their bodies to melt into the ground below them though her grip on her son never faltered. "I've got you," she whispered regaining the use of her voice slightly, "I won't let go."

She managed to cross her legs underneath her and shift Henry's small frame into her lap holding his face against her chest just below her collarbone.

The only movement in the room, and what seemed like the world to Emma, came from the two broken forms on the ground, Emma rocking Henry back and forth as he continued to shake violently from his silent sobs. "Breathe Henry, come on. Breathe for me baby boy." Her heart felt like it was caving in on itself.

He drew in a sharp, shaky break.

"I-" he choked on his words. "I- I- never t-told her!" his voice was gruff. "I never told h-her."

"Told her what?" Emma felt like she was using all of her possible energy just to keep her voice from breaking with emotion, she needed to be strong for her son now more than she ever had to before.

"Sh-she d-didn't know." He continued as if he hadn't registered his mother talking to him. "I n-need to t-tell her!" he began thrashing in Emma's arms breaking her heart even more than she thought was possible to survive. She couldn't talk, couldn't bring herself to tell him no which is why she was glad when David's face came into view crouching down beside them. He placed a hand on Henry's shoulder and didn't flinch when he tried to shrug the contact off.

"Your mom just needs time to heal now Henry, she needs time on her own."

"But she doesn't know!" Henry all but spat at David, "She doesn't know!"

"Know what H-Henry?" came Snow's anguished voice.

"Th-that I love her!" he screamed, "Sh-she thinks I-I don't lo-love her s-so she did th-this! It's m-m-my fault!" with this he practically crumpled into Emma's arms, all of the fight had left his small body as his words left him.

Emma's tears came thicker now, her anger returned – not anger at Regina but at the world. How in the hell could this be allowed to happen!? How could a woman be allowed to feel so worthless and desperate that she thought death would be the only release? And how could a young boy feel so guilty and ashamed that he put the blame of Regina's despair on himself? They say everything happens for a reason? Well someone better start explaining pretty _fucking _soon!

"D-don't" she began but her anger mixed with frustration was getting the better of her. She pulled Henry's head away from his chest and brought his face up. "Now, you look at me Henry _Mills_." She put the emphasis on his last name to bring his attention to her. "Yeah, Mills. Your family name belongs to possibly the bravest woman I know." David and Snow's gaze didn't falter for a second at these words because there was simply no denying it. "Do you wanna know why?"

Henry's face softened slightly as he regarded his mother. He nodded slowly wondering what she could say to make the ache in his heart go away, the guilt in his bones fade out into nothing.

"Because she never stops fighting, not for one second! Even after all of the _crap _she has been through, and trust me Henry that is more than you will ever know, do you know why she keeps on fighting?" He shook his head slowly, she brought up a shaky finger and pressed it to his chest, "you."

He was confused now; he knew his mother loved _him_ she had shown that a thousand times over. He was crying because she thought he didn't love her anymore and that's why she was lying in a hospital bed. Grown up's just didn't understand anything!

She saw the frustration in his face knowing that she hadn't calmed his guilt yet, she continued on. "Henry, why did you stop everyone from hurting Regina when the curse broke?"

He looked at her as if she had asked whether the sky was blue, "because she's my mom."

"Yeah so?" she urged on wiping the stray tears that fell from his eyes. "Why didn't you want her to get hurt?"

"Well because I love her." The realization was slowly registering on his face.

"And who stopped me from using the bean to take us to the Enchanted Forest?"

"Well…me," he replied, his tears falling a little faster again now.

"And why was that?" Emma asked once again, her face softening as she found her message to be registering in Henry's mind.

"Because I couldn't leave my mom behind because I love her…with all my heart." The last part sounded almost like a revelation even to him. It was said that you didn't always know what you had until it was gone –Henry hadn't realised how much he truly loved Regina until she was almost gone forever. His body resumed its shaking as his sobs began again and this time, although it wasn't much of an improvement, Henry emitted tiny whimpering sounds – she had managed at least to take away some of the guilt he had been feeling, it wasn't a lot but for now it would have to be enough.

"And I can promise you Henry that your mom knows that is true otherwise she would've given up fighting for you a very long time ago." She sighed deeply as his tired body seemed to fuse with her exhausted form.

They had a long road ahead of them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Once again overwhelmed by the response to my little story – big thanks to angelfire east 24 being so passionate about the story to write lovely meaty reviews  
Okay, so in this chapter it'll start off with Regina and Killian – I don't really know what's going to happen yet. I'll just let my fingers do the talking and hopefully it'll work out like the other 5 chapters have  
Hook tries to find out why Regina did what she did but as per usual her walls come flying up, we'll see what happens with that one. Meanwhile someone's got to go and survey the damage done to the Mayoral mansion and prepare it so that it's ready when she is discharged. Hmm, I wonder who the job would fall to in such a small town?**

**Also I've just discovered **_**Not Like The Movies – Katy Perry **_**and I fell in love with it – it is actually what I was listening to whilst writing this chapter, it just speaks to me so much and it's how I want this HookedQueen fic to go as well – it explains that even if you do meet the one you're supposed to be with you might not know it right away and that's okay but if you just wait, it'll happen one day…I hope that makes sense hahaa. **

_Snow White said when I was young,  
"One day my prince will come"  
So I wait for that day  
They say it's hard to meet your match  
Find my better half  
So we make perfect shapes_

_The stars don't align_  
_If it doesn't stop time_  
_If you can't see the sign_  
_Wait for it_  
_One hundred percent_  
_Worth every penny spent_  
_He'll be the one that finishes your sentences_

She didn't care that his eyes were on her, they had fallen into a somewhat comfortable silence as they separately contemplated the answer to the others question, 'why had Killian saved her?' she was sure that he would shoot off some inappropriate comment about her having to find a way to make it up to him but he hadn't, he had retreated into his own thoughts just as she had.

He wasn't sure how long they had been sitting in the perfect silence that now enveloped them; he hadn't taken his eyes from her face. She was still sitting upright but her shoulders were slumped over, her regal pretense was long gone.

Her face was a picture of calm, she seemed utterly consumed within her own thoughts and he was glad to find that they didn't seem to be too troubling at this moment in time – he had found he could always read her, this was most likely due to the fact that he was the only one who could, strike that, tried to understand her.

He was the first to break the silence. "Do you regret it?"

Startled by the sudden noise breaking through her train of thoughts she looked over to where the pirate sat in the corner of the artificially lightened room. One leg, most likely the seemingly permanently injured one, was stretched out in front of him whilst the other was bent at the knee. His elbow rested on the arm of the wicker chair and allowed him to support his head in his hand as he kept his gaze fixed on the floor in front of him. She wasn't sure if he even realized that he'd voiced his question, that was until blue eyes found brown and her breath caught in her throat. He looked pained but she didn't know why.

"Do I regret what dear?" she knew what he was asking but couldn't bring herself to actually put into words what she had attempted to do, after all, she wasn't exactly expecting having to explain to people why she had done what she'd done - at least not verbally.

'Shit!' she wasn't sure whether she'd said that out loud or not but judging by Killian's unchanging expression she mustn't have. It'd been at least 10 hours since she had been found by him in her home and now that daylight was breaking things would have to be taken care of. From her knowledge, which was in fact limited, of these kinds of situations it was usually the Sheriff's office that dealt with cleanup operations. That meant that Emma would have to be informed of the situation. She forced the bile that had risen into her throat back down into the pit of her stomach with a hard swallow, the woman that had set these events back into motion so long ago would see the pitiful mess in her bathroom, no doubt she'd find what Regina had tried to do pathetic and revel in the shift of power between the pair. She'd swan about her house, no pun intended, drinking in the mess that had become of her arch enemy's life and - 'oh god, the note!' Regina's heart sank even lower into her chest as she recalled sitting down in her office and writing her goodbye letter to the only person that mattered to her - Henry.

Anger boiled within her as she locked her gaze with the pirate's once again. She still hadn't answered his question and he hadn't pushed her but she could tell he wanted at least something from her. Well he was going to get it.

"Why the hell were you in my house last night?"

He recoiled as though he had been slapped, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"You heard me!" she practically spat venom across the room, "why were you in my house? Clearly I didn't invite you, did my not answering when you knocked not give you some indication that I either wasn't home or didn't want company?"

He was speechless for a few seconds longer than he usually would've been when she had finished talking. "I saved your life love; I know this town isn't well known for its gratuitous nature but I would've thought a lady as well-mannered as you would be an exception."

"You did not save my life Hook." When he opened his mouth to retort she carried on over him, "that would mean that I actually wanted to be here in the land of the living." She spat the last part as if it was poison in her mouth, her lips turned up in disgust.

His heart almost stopped at her words. "You- you actually wanted to die?"

Her brow furrowed at his stupidity, "I knew you were dense Captain but even that oaf Charming would've caught on faster than you, what did you think the purpose of last night was? A joke? Some sort of twisted plot to get everyone back on my side? You know as well as any other that I don't mess around when it comes to things such as this."

His pained expression seemed to fade as something else took its place. Fury.

Hook practically flew out of the chair and began lamely pacing back and forth across the room, his hands balled into fists at his side. Every so often he would open his mouth as if to say something but instead would simply let out sharp breaths and look anywhere but at her.

Finally he turned around and placed his hands on the rail at the end of her bed, it creaked as he leaned into it for support with his head bowed.

She didn't move, she just watched the surprising turn of events. Why was he so concerned? As a matter of fact, why was he still here? He could've dumped her at the hospital and left, he could've stayed to make sure she was okay and then left, he could've done a million different things that all involved him eventually leaving but he was still here, why?

His head rose slowly bringing his eyes once again to hers, "why Regina?"

She continued to hold his gaze for what felt like an eternity but was, in fact, mere seconds. She began lowering herself down onto her back in her bed. "I need to rest so thank you very much for 'caring' Captain-" he didn't miss the sarcastic inflection she used when talking but stopped her from going any further by slamming his hook and his good hand down onto the metal rail effectively stunning her into silence.

"No Regina! You do not get to do that, you do not get to just throw me out!" when she looked as though she was going to once again dismiss him he held his good hand up to silence her and continued, "you may think that I didn't 'save your life' but no matter what you might want or think you want," he didn't miss the way her eyes widened in anger but carried on regardless, "ending your life is NOT the answer, you'd leave your son without a mother and I- I couldn't imagine-"

"What Captain?" she interrupted as his voice lowered significantly, "you couldn't imagine what?" she watched his expression change once again and saw the vulnerability in him, she had only caught this weakness in him once before when she was wrapped in his arms on the bow of his ship. Had she not been lying in a hospital bed after almost succeeding in taking her own life she would've recognized the tiniest flicker of hope that ran through her body as she realized what he was thinking but instead she just scoffed openly. The pain was evident in his eyes but she was too far gone to recognize it, her walls were up and the Queen had stepped in like she always did when Regina was feeling weak. "Please do not tell me that you think there's actually something between us?" at his silence her eyes widened incredulously, "you actually think that people like ourselves could feel anything more than the darkness? Am I not living proof that that isn't possible? Come on Killian, you're not an idiot. You know how the world works and for us," she gestured around the room, "this is our lot."

With one last look of pure disbelief he turned and limped from the room, if she was listening, which she assured herself she wasn't; she could hear the loud scraping of metal chairs as they were kicked down the long corridor. The unbearable feeling of guilt crept slowly into the pit of her stomach and her eyes filled with tears, why should she care about his feelings? _Because you feel the same way, idiot._

The door to the mayoral mansion loomed over her menacingly, she felt sick. After finally calming Henry down and herself for that matter, she had put him to bed and began preparing herself for the trip over here and what she may find once inside. David had told her that he could handle it if she wasn't feeling up to it, after all that's what deputies were for. She had to do this though; she needed to know what had been going through Regina's head for her to want to do this. It was completely out of character, she was so strong – annoyingly so in Emma's opinion, stubborn and hard headed but she also had a kind heart when she let her walls down enough to show it. Emma had witnessed enough times how gentle she became when Henry was around, his incessant need to question almost everything everyone did often grated on Emma's nerves at times but Regina was always so patient with him as she suspected she had been even before Henry had discovered she was the Evil Queen. She loved him with all her heart, there was no doubting that – so why would she just give up the fight for him after all this time and all the hard work she put into changing for him? It just didn't make sense and Emma suspected that the only solution would be to talk to the woman herself – definitely not something she was looking forward to.

The slamming of the police cruiser door brought her back to the present as David caught up to her, "you know you don't have to do this if you don't want to." He stated, the terrified expression on her face must've tipped him off.

"I know, but I have to." Instead of pushing from more like he usually did he just remained at her side unmoving and giving her the time she needed to build up the strength to open the door to number 108.

The air left her lungs as soon as she stepped foot into the foyer of the mansion, she'd been here before with Henry when Regina had been out but she had never felt anything like this. The morning sun was shining through the house but it felt…dark. It felt empty and not just in the sense that there weren't any people there, it was as if the life had been taken from it. The place didn't seem like a home anymore, it felt cold and almost clinical.

Their footsteps echoed ominously throughout the house, Regina had been gone for less than 12 hours but it felt to Emma as though the house had been abandoned years ago – left to decay. It was only then that she noticed the dust gathering on every surface possible, Regina was practically obsessive compulsive when it came to cleanliness and appearances, and this house was usually pristine. Cobwebs had gathered in the corners of the room when the walls joined to the ceiling. She shot a look towards her father who had seemed to notice the same things she had, what had happened to this woman? It had only been around 4 months since they had returned from Neverland, she was fine when they had last spoken to her and in the brief moments Emma had glimpsed her out of the house she had looked her usual well-groomed self although Emma knew better than most that what lay beneath the surface didn't always match the shiny exterior.

As they ascended the small set of steps and moved towards the living room, Emma found that although the place was a little messy, it was nowhere near as bad as she had come to expect. Everything was in its place, it looked like the house hadn't even been lived in – that was more likely the case, Regina hadn't been 'living' here, she had just been here.

After surveying the living room and doing the same in the kitchen which looked as it always did give or take some cobwebs, she made her way over to Regina's office. She felt like she was intruding on Regina's privacy more by entering her personal space, she fought the urge to knock and turned the door handle. The room smelt of leather, the leather bound books that lined the shelves, the leather sofa that faced the large window and the leather of Regina's office chair. She had to swallow down the lump in her throat as she realized she could also smell Regina. The slight apple scent that always carried along behind her lingering and dancing around the senses of any who were close by and the intoxicating but strangely comforting scent that was all her.

With a deep breath Emma stepped further into the room and noticed a white envelope laying on the desk, she moved closer to make out the elegant script on the front reading: _My Beloved Henry_

Her heart almost stopped beating and plummeted to the bottom of her stomach as she realized what it was – a goodbye letter.

Against her better judgment and every single brain cell screaming at her to stop, she carefully slid her finger under the flap to open the envelope. She took a deep breath as she pulled out the wad of pages filled with Regina's elegant handwriting, she lay them all out in front of her and took one last breath to prepare herself for what she was about to do. As she felt some of the fear leave her body, she looked down and began to read.


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay so I'm not sure whether it worked out but I worked really hard on this chapter, trying to convey the right emotions. **

**We start with Regina's letter to Henry so let me know how you think that is, then we see how Emma copes with being in Regina's home some more (I know she's in the story a lot at this moment in time but it's only really from necessity) and we finish with another little snippet of what happened whilst in Neverland. **

**I'm so shocked at the response I've had to this story – thank you so, so much! It means the world to me that you're enjoying coming on this journey with me and it's only just beginning ;) **

**ENJOY!**

_**My Dearest Henry, **_

_**I don't know how I'm supposed to do this, how I'm supposed to even begin to say goodbye to you. I know you won't understand what's happening right now but one day you will, just know that I love you – always have and always will.**_

_**You are my life, you are my everything. Every day I have lived in this world has been made easier just by your presence. I never thought I'd be able to feel that way again about another human being, I thought that part of me had died alongside Daniel but, like you always do, you proved me wrong. **_

_**From the moment you were placed in my arms I felt it, that almost suffocating need to protect you and love you and with everything I had in me that's what I vowed to do for as long as I lived. **_

_**You were so tiny; you were crying when they brought you to me, it broke my heart to hear the pain within your cry. It was almost as if you knew you had been taken from your mother and I was terrified that I'd never be able to take away that pain. My heart practically gave up beating in my chest when you looked up at me with your beautiful brown eyes and your tears stopped. **_

_**You may not have grown inside of me but it made no difference to me, you were mine and I was going to do everything I could to show you that you were loved just the same. I know that this at times caused you to feel suffocated and trapped but I must tell you that was never my intention. I once told you that I didn't/don't know how to love very well – it has always been my weakness. Once someone catches my heart I cannot help but to give them all of me, to love with every fibre of my being. I am not using excuses to pardon my past mistakes but I just wanted you to understand.**_

_**I know that I have done inexcusable things in the past and I can't even begin to make up for all of the pain and suffering I have caused but I also know that my continued presence here is not good for anyone, least of all myself. I am a danger to all others and the people of this town won't be able to rest easy and live their lives peacefully until they know that there is no way I'm going to return – this is my final apology to everyone.**_

A tear hit the page as Emma let out the shaky breath she didn't know she had been holding in. She'd noticed when reading that Regina's handwriting wasn't as elegant as it usually was, the letters were wobbly and the paper tear stained, physical evidence of her pain to match the heartfelt goodbye to her son.

_**I know that whatever it is you decide to do with your life – it will be spectacular. I am so beyond proud of you Henry, you have exceeded everyone's expectations in being the kind, loving, fearless, brave young man that I admire so much. **_

_**You've faced so much more than most face their entire lifetime and not once did you try to run or hide, you faced it head on and that is why I know I did at least one thing right when raising you.**_

_**I want to leave you with a story Henry, my story but I don't want you to read it all now. That is why I have arranged for the letters to be delivered at a different time, I don't want you to forget me too quickly. **_

_**I also need you to give something to Miss Swan for me, in this envelope are the documents needed to sign over full custody of you to her. I have already signed my half so all she needs to do is autograph the rest and you shall be fully hers. I know this is for the best – I know you love me Henry but it's not the same as the love a child shares with their biological mother, you share a connection that I know will keep you strong through all of this. Be brave my boy. **_

_**I will look in on you from time to time to make sure you are okay and to watch you grow into the fine young man I know you will become. You don't need to understand why I have done this, you just need to understand that it is no way shape or form your fault. You saved me Henry, if it wasn't for you in my life I know I would never have made it this far. You held me together in times when I felt like I was going to fall apart, you lifted me back up when I was at my lowest simply by smiling in my direction or even just being in the same room as me. You truly are more special than I think you will ever know.**_

Emma was almost choking on her sobs now; her hands were trembling as she absorbed the broken woman's words. The letter was coming to a close now and although Emma knew Regina was still alive, she still wept for her.

_**I just need you to promise me one thing sweetheart; do not be afraid of love. Don't be afraid to give it or to receive it because if there is one thing I have learned in my many years on this earth – love is strength. When you get it hold onto it with everything you have because it is the most magnificent feeling and I want to thank you for allowing me to experience it one more time. **_

_**I love you Henry, never forget that, **_

_**Love forever and always, Mom. **_

Emma's whole body was shaking now with the sheer force of her sobs that racked her slim frame, she felt like she was in pain. There was an uncomfortable burning lump in her throat that she couldn't seem to shift; she was sucking in air now trying to fill her seemingly insatiable lungs. Her head was pounding from the amount of crying she had done in the last 12 hours or so, it wasn't a normal occurrence for her.

She heard her father entering the room; he'd been too busy checking upstairs to disturb Emma whilst she was reading the letter. As quickly and as subtly as possible she folded it and placed it in the inside pocket of her leather jacket and swept her hands over her tear stained cheeks trying to remove the evidence of her sorrow from him – she failed.

"Emma, you know it's not too late – you don't have to do this." His eyes were full of sympathy and a hint of confusion, he still didn't understand why this had affected her so much but he hadn't read the letter, maybe then he'd get it. There was something else in his eyes though, she couldn't be sure but he looked almost fearful.

Her brow furrowed as she continued to search his eyes, "what's wrong?" whatever he had seen upstairs he wasn't about to tell her in her current state. She moved from behind Regina's office desk towards the stairs, she paid no notice to her father's pleas to stay downstairs. The gentle thud of her footsteps hitting each carpeted stair sounded like thunder in her ears, her heart pounded as she headed straight for Regina's room.

It was eerily dark with the curtains still drawn from the previous night, the bed laid unmade and looked as though someone had literally just got out of it; sadly that was not the case. She took a deep breath as she walked towards the mayor's en suite bathroom; the door was slightly ajar revealing a slither of white tile.

It creaked as she pushed on the wood with her eyes closed giving herself time to prepare for what she was about to see, she knew what had happened and how Regina had tried to take her life but standing here now about to actually see it for herself – she wasn't sure she could do it. Blood pumped through her veins as she tried to will her eyes open, she was petrified and unsure as to whether she'd be able to remain standing.

She had to do what she had come to the house for, she had to see it for herself and know that it was all real. To know that this woman, this strong ass woman could take living no more, that her pain was so unbearable she had decided there was no other way out because no matter how hard she tried Emma just couldn't fathom Regina doing something like this – after all she had been through and survived, all she had fought to keep she was just going to throw it all away in one fell swoop. It didn't make sense to her, slowly she opened her eyes.

The oxygen in the room seemed to evaporate as she took in the scene before her; the floor was speckled with deep red, almost brown, stains up until it became a solid shape as it reached the sink. _'That's where she must have done it' _thought Emma grimly as she fought back the inevitable tears. She could smell her, her potent and unique scent lingered in the air like a ghost, Emma groaned internally as she considered the weight of those words.

She forced herself to step forward into the bathroom but as the contents of the sink came into view she wished she hadn't. She noticed the blood red hand print that smudged down to the end of the bowl, her stomach felt as though it was filled with acid, it physically pained her to imagine what had happened here only hours before. The plug had managed to fall into place meaning that a fair amount of blood was pooled and contained inside the sink, Emma had never witnessed a crime scene with the exception of those you see on television or in a film – she realized how much they really diluted the gore.

A flash of silver caught her eye as she focused on the razor blade floating on top of the blood, Emma felt as though it was somehow mocking her – she resisted the urge to pull the plug out and let the remnants of Regina's pain disappear.

"Right about there is where I found her." Emma practically flew into the air with fright at the intrusion of the silence that had settled around her.

Her hand landed on her chest with a thud as if to make sure her heart was actually still beating, "Jesus Hook!" she would've continued shouting at him about not creeping up on people when she realized his eyes were still cast down to the floor at her feet, he wasn't holding himself like the cocky, arrogant pirate he usually was – his shoulders were slumped over and he hadn't bothered to hide the pain in his deep blue eyes. She was reminded of how he had looked during their time in Neverland when they thought Regina had…

"_NO!" came the young boys scream, it echoed throughout the forest surrounding them causing a few native birds to fly over the clearing in which they found themselves. _

_He was being held back by his Grandfather whilst Emma, his Grandmother and Mr Gold looked down upon the lifeless body of his mother on the ground. It was gone, he was back in their arms – this wasn't how it was supposed to go. The orange light cast by the evening sun made it harder for him to read the expressions filling the faces of the adults but he could feel their panic, clearly this hadn't been part of their plan. _

"_What do you mean?!" Emma asked in a hushed whisper glancing quickly towards Henry thrashing wildly in David's arms. _

_Gold looked upon her with an expression of bored annoyance, clearly sick of having to explain himself again "As I said Dearie, this was to be expected – she took on a lot more than any human being should have to handle." _

"_And what, you couldn't find the time to warn us of this during the 3 weeks we spent planning? Couldn't find it in your twisted little heart to warn Regina that she could fucking die doing this!?" Hook spat, his eyes flaring with anger but also, surprisingly to Emma, hurt. She was stopped from thinking on it further when she heard Gold's retort. _

"_Do you really think that even if I had warned her she would've stopped? Come now, I think we all know our mayor better than that." _

"_He's right." Snow spoke up, "Henry is all that has ever mattered to her, I think she would rather die than let him remain in any kind of danger – she sacrificed herself for him." _

_Emma wasn't sure whether it had been hours or mere minutes since she had watched Regina crumple to the ground like a ragdoll, this outcome hadn't been anticipated. They had gathered around her, Hook was the first to reach her body trying desperately to find any signs of life; she had been growing colder by the minute but he had insisted they try harder to bring her back – he had taken to laying his long coat over her legs and up to her stomach, when they had succeeded in pulling him back to his feet he found he wasn't able to look at her anymore, to see her eyes open yet looking so empty._

_What happened next had even shocked Mr Gold into complete silence, the sky burnt a brilliant orange and Regina was somehow raised into the air… _

She was brought out of her memories by her father's voice calling her from the ground floor, she furrowed her brow as she realized the pirate had disappeared but she continued to move out of the bathroom, through Regina's bedroom and to the top of the staircase to look down upon the concerned face of her father.

"It's Henry, he's on his way to the hospital."


	8. Chapter 8

**I used to read fanfics on here and get so involved in them – so much so that I still read them again and again – I never thought I would have people get so invested in my story to the point where they're asking for more chapters and getting involved with the characters and excited about what's going to happen next so thank you very much for that – it means the absolute world to me. **

**This chapter started off completely differently but I didn't really like it so decided to start again which I'm glad I have. We start with Henry arriving at the hospital to see Regina, we shall see where it goes from there ;)**

_Even though I'm the sacrifice,  
You won't try for me, not now.  
Though I'd die to know you love me,  
I'm all alone.  
Isn't someone missing me?_

_Please, please forgive me,_  
_But I won't be home again._  
_I know what you do to yourself,_  
_I breathe deep and cry out,_  
_"Isn't something missing?_  
_Isn't someone missing me?"_

_**Evanescence - Missing**_

He didn't move, his whole body felt like it had been filled with cement. He hadn't planned this far ahead, he just knew when he woke up that he had to come here but now that he was…he wasn't so sure. What was he going to say to her? There was the old, redundant _'why did you do it?' _but in all honesty he wasn't sure whether she would think him mature enough to tell him the truth or whether he could actually handle the truth should she choose to give it to him. He didn't know what he wanted.

His eyes were raw and burned from sleep deprivation, every time he closed his eyes he saw her face and how she looked that day on the docks…the last time he had seen her. He should've realized that something was wrong in that moment; she never gave up without a fight – especially when it came to him but she had just looked at him with pain dancing in her eyes and walked away. Of course he hadn't cared at the time, he was back with Emma and his Grandparents, why should he care that the woman who had raised him and loved him unconditionally was a bit sad.

Butterflies were flying rampantly around his stomach as he looked down the corridor towards where he suspected her room was, he had no doubt that Emma would be here soon to take him away. He had watched Doctor Whale out of the corner of his eye as soon as he had entered the hospital, as expected he had called one of the Charmings straight away to alert them to his being there but he didn't care. There was no way he was leaving without having seen her; he just had to build up the courage to actually do it.

Henry could feel the sympathetic eyes of Storybrooke residents burning into his back, of course they'd all know already – no doubt disappointed that she hadn't succeeded. If he had been able to eat breakfast that morning he was pretty sure it would be trying to make its way back up and out of where it entered from with the way his stomach was rolling. The lump rising in his throat was becoming almost unbearable when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. Looking up he found his biological mother staring down at him with sad eyes.

She lowered herself slowly so that she was level with him, he hated when she did that – he wasn't a baby. "You okay kid?"

His gaze didn't linger on her for more than a couple of seconds before it was back on the seemingly dark corridor in front of him. People came and went in front of the pair, not bothering to hide the fact that they were staring openly until Emma looked up sharply indicating that they better make themselves scarce.

"What do I say to her?" Henry was glad Emma had been clever enough to resist trying to talk him out of this, normally she wasn't his mother's biggest fan but he could tell something had changed within her just as it had him. She was affected indirectly by what had happened as well which is why, he suspected, she didn't bother trying to pretend she knew all the answers like she used to do.

"I don't know," she sighed deeply as she found herself staring down the corridor as well. What could he say to her? Would she want to see him so soon? Emma knew that either way Henry wasn't going to leave today until he had seen her and no matter how long it took, no matter how long they stood and stared, she wouldn't leave his side. David had agreed to inform Snow that she was with Henry, the woman had been practically inconsolable on the phone and at this moment in time, Emma couldn't care less. She loved her mother but that woman had a tendency to overreact to the smallest of things and right now definitely was not the time.

She looked once again at her son; his brow was now furrowed as he fought the battle of will that she knew was going on inside his head because it was sure as hell going on in hers to. Would this make things better or worse for them? There was only really one way to find out.

"You know what I think kid?" Her breath caught in her throat as Henry's brown eyes found hers, she knew it couldn't be possible because genetically speaking they weren't related but what she saw in them in that moment reminded her so much of the brokenness that always lingered behind his adoptive mothers equally haunting eyes. "I think right now, no matter what has happened, she just needs our support." He looked down at this, taking it in whether he agreed or not she didn't know but she continued, "and I think she's definitely gonna need one of your world famous hugs!" Her heart lifted a little as she watched the small smile tug at his lips.

Finally he looked up once more at her and gave a small nod to indicate his agreement.

"Doctor Whale?" She wasn't surprised that during their talk he had kept close listening nearby and so in reply simply placed his hand on Henry's shoulder and led him down the corridor with Emma close behind.

It'd been a good few hours since she had sent Hook limping from her room but when she heard soft footsteps in the hallway leading to her room her heart sank, she didn't have the strength to build her walls back up again. If he were to question her again she was sure she would simply crumple into the thin hospital sheets and her heart would pour out to him like the tears she couldn't help but let spill from her eyes. As if readying itself for release it began pounding inhumanely in her chest as the footsteps grew louder by the second but as she focused her hearing she realized that whoever it was wasn't alone. Her eyes widened as she decided there had to be at least 3 people if not more making their way to her room, _'probably come to finish the job' _she thought bitterly to herself.

Regina knew it was the coward's way out but she couldn't face more questions at this moment in time, she slid herself quickly and quietly under the covers making sure to face away from the door to her room and she closed her eyes as if she was sleeping. She could hear whoever it was standing outside of her room and strained her ears to find any clue as to their identity.

Emma watched as Henry stopped in the doorway to Regina's room, the steady beeping of the heart monitor could be heard echoing monotonously into the hallway. When there was no immediate reaction to be heard at Henry's appearance she deduced that the mayor must be asleep. She wasn't sure whether she was relieved or disappointed at this outcome and the same could be said for her son. His expression was unreadable as he slowly entered the room.

"Henry," she called softly stopping him in his tracks, "I'll give you some time, would you like anything from the cafeteria?" At the shake of his head she gave a gentle smile and retreated back the way she came. The truth was she wasn't ready to see the outcome of Regina's actions; she didn't want to see the woman that had intimidated millions in both this world and another before it lying small and broken in a hospital bed. It was too much too soon for Emma, she had to applaud Henry for his strength; he was much braver than she was.

A single tear escaped from his eye as he looked at the shape covered by white sheets, he could see her dark hair cascading over her pillow and, although he didn't know why, the first thing he thought of was how much it had grown – had it really been that long since he had seen her? He felt sick at the thought, he hadn't actively avoided her after Emma had told her that she couldn't be alone with him but he also hadn't tried to see her. What had happened in Neverland had truly scared him, she had almost died then as well but her actions had stopped him from feeling the love he felt now – she scared them all and Emma had done what she thought best to protect Henry, it was only now that he realized how stupid he was in believing that she would ever hurt him. He didn't know how he had got there but he found himself at the side of her bed with her back facing him. Absentmindedly he let his hand reach out and begin stroking her soft hair; he needed her warmth around him badly, he hadn't known how much he had missed it and craved it until it was nearly taken from his life forever.

'_Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone?' _He recalled the line from a song that Emma always sang along to when they were in her bug, it had made him laugh at the time because she was extremely tone death but now he felt the levity of the statement. Without thinking he found himself climbing into the bed next to her, it was a tight squeeze but he didn't care, he simply clung on to the mother he'd forgotten to love and let his anguish fall from his tiny frame.

She let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding when she felt his tiny arm wrap around her waist, she fought with herself over whether she should turn and embrace him or stay how she was leaving him to believe she was asleep. Would he have done the same thing had she been 'awake' when he walked in? She didn't want to chance ruining the pure joy filling her heart but when she felt the skin of her shoulder dampening with tears her mind was made up for her.

Slowly, so as not to scare him, she began twisting in the bed so that she could face him. She was terrified that he would recoil from her, reject her like he had done so many times before – she wouldn't survive it if he did but she had to know.

He felt her moving but kept his eyes squeezed shut, he wasn't sure if she was turning in her sleep or she was awake. He just knew that he never wanted to lose the warmth that was flooding through him at this moment in time; the tears were still flowing no matter how much he willed them to stop. He was here to comfort her not the other way around, he had to be strong for her, show her that she could lean on in for support but the lump in his throat was making it hard for him to calm down.

Regina's heart constricted as she finally came face to face with her son for the first time in what felt like years, his arm was still held tightly around her waist, he'd only let up on his hold enough for her to rotate. She could feel his sharp breaths tickling her face; he was scared she could tell. Somehow in this moment he looked smaller to her, he looked tiny. A little boy trying so hard to be a brave man for his mom, she choked back a sob as she realized how much he had been forced to grow up in this last year alone. All of them; Emma, David, Mary Margaret, Rumpelstiltskin and even Regina, they had all forced an innocent young boy into childhood at such a tender age because of their selfishness. It broke her heart even more as she watched the tears cascading down his face, across his chin and dampening in her pillow.

She pulled her arm from under the covers and from between them to brush the hair that was falling onto his face, it was a gesture she had performed many a time over his childhood but now it was even more poignant.

As his skin tingled from her contact he slowly opened his eyes, he hadn't known how close she was to him until he found they were nose to nose. Her brown eyes searched his; they were full of hope and fear. The same look he had seen more than a handful of times since he had brought Emma into Storybrooke but only know did he truly understand it. She was waiting for the bottom to drop out, for him to run off like he always had; his heart ached as he realized she was expecting it. Had he really been that careless and stupid? Yes. Every hug, every smile, every kind word said to her had always been followed by his swift departure with his 'new family', he had always left her.

They held each other's watery-eyed gaze for a long time just basking in the others sorely missed presence in their life, her hand had moved from his hair to his cheek. At first she had been wiping away every tear that had fallen but upon stopping she was now simply revelling in the fact she was able to touch him, to comfort him like she had when he was a child.

He leaned into the contact for a while, never breaking their gaze until he nuzzled into her neck, wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and whispered something she never believed she would hear again.

"I love you Mom."


	9. Chapter 9

**I got a request for more Regina/Henry – I am more than happy to oblige…I'm not ashamed to admit I gave myself feels…well maybe a little… Also I shall reveal some more about what happened in Neverland – there is so much planned for when I actually tell the full story of what happened but at this moment in time I'm enjoying teasing you all and I shan't apologize for that – not even a little bit sorry :D The more reviews the quicker I'll update ;)**

**Once again love to all you shippers and EvilRegals x**

**ENJOY!**

_When people all stare_

_I'll pretend that I don't hear them talk_

_Whenever I see you, _

_I'll swallow my pride and bite my tongue _

_Pretend I'm okay with it all_

_Act like there's nothing wrong __  
_

_Is it over yet? _

_Can I open my eyes?_

_Is this as hard as it gets?_

_Is this what it feels like to really cry? _

_Cry_  
**Kelly Clarkson - Cry**

She had been deflecting questions for the past 2 hours whilst sitting in the hospital cafeteria, her temper was beginning to flare as she took a sip from her 5th (or was it 6th?) coffee. She may as well have set a stall up with the sign _"Nosy fuckers this way!" _The absolute cheek of some of these people was unreal.

She was astounded and quite frankly disgusted at how fast the news had spread of Regina's attempted suicide; the most disturbing factor was the wicked gleam shining in their eyes as they regaled her with their shockingly false accounts of what had occurred in the mayoral mansion the night before. It was absolutely ludicrous; the woman was literally lying in the hospital right now broken and beyond despair yet there were still people trying to tear her down. If she hadn't have seen and read what had happened then it probably wouldn't have bothered her as much as it did and that was the sad thing – if she hadn't seen it all first-hand then she would most likely be doing the same as these inconsiderate idiots, eating up false accusations and letting her dislike for the mayor cloud her judgement.

"Shame if you ask me," came one remark from a particularly stubborn older woman who had parked herself at Emma's table uninvited. It didn't faze her when Emma didn't pick up the conversation, oh no, she carried on regardless! "Shame, it didn't work I mean!" she laughed maliciously at this statement expecting Emma to join in but was instead almost comically shocked when the young woman jumped from her seat and slammed her hands down on the table in front of her.

"Get the _fuck _away from me." She didn't scream it like bystanders expected her to; instead she had leaned forward and growled it at the woman in a much more effectively menacing way. The rage dancing within her green eyes was enough to carry her message across effectively and send her on her way.

Needless to say she was basically left completely alone to her thoughts and her coffee after that encounter. She had stopped herself on numerous occasions from making her way back down towards Regina's room, if Henry needed her he would've sent for her or come to the cafeteria but now, her hands vibrating from her coffee buzz, she decided she would have to go and see what damage had been done. Her stomach was doing somersaults as she made her way down the corridor, she pulled her jacket closer around her as she felt a chill that she knew had nothing to do with the hospital air-con.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she realized she couldn't hear anything coming from Regina's room, only the steady beeping of the heart monitor once again, panic flooded through her veins like ice as she contemplated the thought that maybe Henry had run away once again when she had left him, it had been 2 hours – there are too many places he could've gotten to in 2 hours!

She quickens her pace and flies into the hospital room sucking in ragged breaths to calm herself, however the sight that meets her eyes almost stops her heart completely.

Regina was still asleep but this time she's facing towards the door, her expression completely relaxed as Henry's head rests impossibly close to her own. As Emma steps further into the room she notices their foreheads are touching, Regina's hand is resting at the back of Henry's head holding him close while her other arm is placed around his back in order to keep him from accidentally rolling from the bed. Tears filled her eyes as she noticed both of her sons small arms were wrapped impossibly tight around Regina's small frame almost protectively, both had tear tracks marking their faces but looked impossible peaceful. Their chests rose and fell at the same time as if they were breathing as one.

Emma's guilt rose once more like bile in her throat, how could they ever have thought that this woman was going to harm her son. She quietly made her way over to the wicker chair in the corner of the room, she winced as it began to creak when she lowered herself down onto it, she froze in mid-air when she heard Henry stirring on the bed but to her relief he simply lowered his head and nuzzled into Regina's exposed neck sighing contentedly in his sleep, in response Regina only tightened her hold on him subconsciously.

She wasn't sure how long she had watched them before her eyes became heavy as well, she rested her elbow on the arm of the chair and balanced her head on her hand letting sleep take over.

_Her eyes flew open unseeing, the group below her recoiled in horror as they noticed her eyes were only white. Her mouth opened impossibly wide and her face contorted in pain giving her the appearance of screaming when in fact no sound was coming from her lips. The sky flashed a brilliant white above casting them in Regina's shadow. She looked almost spirit like as she hovered above the ground, both arms were thrown out to her sides and her fingers clenched impossibly tight before flexing again. Her hair seemed to be floating up around her giving her the impression of being under water, floating almost. _

_As a reflex David had quickly grabbed a hold of Snow and Emma and they had created a human shield surrounding Henry who was still trying to get to his mother. Hook was stunned completely into silence as he looked up at her; he was frozen in place unable to move. _

"_Gold, what the hell is going on!?" Came Emma's voice, her panic was obvious as it dripped from every possible syllable. _

_He chanced a look at the imp who seemed just as perplexed as they were and was that…fear? Hook had never known him to lose his composure, he'd had centuries to school his features – this filled him with dread, if the Dark One was fearful what did that mean for the rest of them? _

_Regina's head snapped back revealing the veins in her neck, they looked ready to burst at the sheer strain she was under. Her scream was finally heard. It made Emma's blood curdle; it felt like it was seeping into her bones, into every inch of her shaking to her core. _

"_It didn't work." Rumpel muttered ominously, the ever increasing power of the winds whipping through the trees had them all straining to hear him. The realization was filling his features as he watched the scene unfolding in front of his eyes._

"_Of course it worked!" Emma retorted, "We saved Henry." She really was simple minded, thought Rumpel._

_The imp merely glanced her way lazily before focusing once again on Regina's form, "saved being the operative word dearie."_

_Emma's frustration was growing at almost the same speed as the wind, she fought to stay close to her family and throw her wild blonde locks from her face. "Stop talking in riddles Gold! Just tell us what's going on!" _

_He let out a pained sigh, the increasingly dangerous weather apparently having no effect on him, "you _stole _Henry." _

_Her brow furrowed deeply as she considered his words, what the fuck was he talking about, stole? "How the hell did we steal him when he was ours to begin with?" _

_A shadow seemed to pass overhead and caught their attention at once. Regina was still in the same place so it can't have been cast by her body. It left an uneasy feeling within Emma's stomach as she looked once again at Gold, was he actually smiling? Slowly he turned to her once again; the excitement in his eyes was unsettling and downright freaky. _

"_His soul does not belong to him anymore dearie, his body may be tethered to his mother," he looked towards Henry whose eyes were almost bulging out of his skull, "but his soul, well…I think you're about to meet your sons new master." _

**A much shorter chapter as I feel like this is where it needed to end – I don't normally do 2 updates in 1 day but I was feeling generous today because you're all so lovely. It's 3:30am here so any mistakes are due to lack of sleep. **

**Please Enjoy :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**So in this chapter we have a mixture of things: **

**a touch more Henry/Regina cause I know how much you guys are enjoying that little dynamic **

**HookedQueen is about to begin properly…ahhhhhh!**

**Regina's first 'life story' letter arrives at the apartment…dun dun DUNNNNNNNN. **

**Lemme know whatcha think!**

_Who doesn't long for someone to hold_

_Who knows how to love you without being told_

_Somebody tell me why I'm on my own_

_If there's a soulmate for everyone_

_**Natasha Bedingfield – Soulmate **_

She felt his eyes on her before she opened her own, she was too scared that upon seeing her without the influence of sleep deprivation he would realize that she wasn't worthy of his love once again and she didn't think she could survive that, her heart lifted as she realized he was yet to actually physically remove himself from her hold and from what she could tell he didn't seem to want to budge.

Regina felt a small sweeping motion across her forehead and discovered that her son was trying to comfort her in the way that she had done with him many a time, he was moving the hair from her eyes gently, she soaked in the warmth that radiated from his skin on hers – it was incredible.

She couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face as she opened her eyes and locked onto his gentle brown gaze, he remained unblinking as he mirrored his mother's smile as if not wanting to miss a single second of it. She let out a contented sigh as she looked over his features, with a wince she noticed the dark circles beginning to form under his eyes and her guilt rose significantly – when she had planned what she was going to do she hadn't really taken his reaction into account fully, she knew he'd be upset but she hoped by leaving him with the chance to live the rest of his life with the people he loved he wouldn't react too badly – seeing him now so close to her she felt shame bubbling beneath her skin.

He pressed his fingers into the deep lines that had begun forming on her forehead as she frowned; he rubbed gently as if trying to soothe the very thoughts from her mind. As she managed to gather herself enough to calm her expression, his small hand slipped down her face as he began tracing the shallow wrinkles that bracketed her eyes and her mouth – he had never been this close to her for this amount of time, the mask she always seemed to wear was long gone and he could tell how vulnerable she was feeling – like a little girl needing to be reassured that everything was going to be okay in the end.

She closed her eyes once again at his soft touch and exhaled deeply, she was content enough to fall back into a comforted sleep when she heard a creak in the corner of the room. She slipped from his grasp and sat up far too quickly for her bodies liking, her head swam with dizziness as she tried to gain some control over her eyesight she found a pair of green eyes looking at her sheepishly.

Regina's face was unreadable and had Emma's heart pounding in her chest so loud she was sure the people outside of the hospital would be able to hear it. She knew she had been intruding on the important mother/son moment but she actually hadn't meant to fall asleep, she was just so damn tired!

She didn't know how to react, she hadn't been expecting Emma of all people to be here – yes, she was obviously looking out for Henry but hadn't she scurried off to the cafeteria? This made Regina think, how long had they been asleep? She didn't feel particularly well rested but the power nap had taken the edge off of her sleep deprived state. She looked back to Henry and found he was looking at her with apprehension, waiting for her to strike no doubt, her heart deflated slightly, no matter how much she tried she was never truly going to be able to shake the Evil moniker from her past.

Both women were relieved when a slightly intimidated looking nurse arrived in the doorway expressing apologies for interrupting but Regina's wound had to be redressed. Regina had gotten so used to this that she forgot about the wide eyed young boy sitting beside her, she winced and slammed her eyes shut as she heard an audible gasp when her bandage was peeled away. She couldn't look at her sons face, sure she would only see disgust and pity in his eyes, she was shocked however when she felt small fingers gently caressing the skin that surrounded the deep laceration.

Opening her eyes she watched as he traced the skin that led from her wrist down to the crease in her arm alongside her cut. She felt hot tears falling onto the raw skin but didn't allow Henry to hear her pain, in his own way he was letting her know that he loved her and wanted to care for her. His eyes found her face and she choked on air as she felt the love flooding her soul. She had waited so long for him to look at her that way again and had thought he never would.

With a pang in her chest she looked away from her son, if she had wanted him so much…why was it not enough?

**2 months later **

The footsteps echoing above him caused him to freeze, no one but him had been on his ship since they had returned from Neverland. Listening carefully he noticed that his intruder definitely wasn't walking steadily. _The Crocodile._

Anger flared throughout his body as he raced up the wooden stairs leading from his bed chamber and onto the deck of his ship, what he saw however stilled him completely.

"There's my hero!" she slurred sarcastically, fixing him with a glare he'd seen far too many times to count, he couldn't tell if the tears in her eyes stemmed from anger or pain. She was dressed in her stylish black pea coat and wearing, from what he could tell, one of his favourite black pencil skirts with her trademark black boots. He hadn't seen her since she had sent him with his tail between his legs from her hospital room yet he still couldn't help the burning desire that rose within him at the sight of her. She swayed slightly on her feet, his arms automatically shot up ready to catch her if she should fall. "Oh look, chivalry's not dead after all."

"Inebriation doesn't suit you love." He masked his pain expertly with his quick tongue, something he knew they both had in common. Her current state meant her grace when moving around had disappeared for the time being and so he was surprised the floor didn't fall through with the way she stomped towards him with murder in her eyes.

She stopped just short of arms reach and placed her hands on her hips not breaking eye contact with him. "Why the fuck did you do it?" she demanded. "Why were you in my house? Why did you not allow me to just go! To be in peace for the first time in my whole fucking life!" She hadn't expressed this to anyone but for some reason she just couldn't bring herself to stop. "It hurts too much, did you know that? It's all I feel every single second of every fucking day and I just can't do it anymore! I'm not strong enough, I'm tired. I was nearly there but then you had to come in and be all brave and save the poor broken Queen –WHY?"

He was shocked to hear the normally well put together mayor not only raising her voice significantly but _cursing, _he wasn't sure whether it suited her or not, then her words finally registered. "Because I can't lose you." It was so quiet she almost didn't hear it, stepping closer she searched his face.

"You never _had _me to begin with!" she spat in his face, the venom pouring from her words but he knew her well enough to see how contrived it was, how her features strained in objection to the statement. He had seen the truth flash across her face that night in the hospital and here it was again only heightened by the afternoon sun.

"Stop kidding yourself Regina, you just won't let yourself see what's right in front of your face!" he knows it's not the best idea he's ever had but he has to show her somehow. He gripped her face between his hands and looked into her eyes once more; he saw the pain and fear there again but was taken aback when he sensed something else, her fire. The same one he had witnessed many years ago in her castle, it didn't burn as magnificently as it had but it was still there none the less. His heart leapt in his chest as he crashed his lips onto hers.

She didn't move to reciprocate it but she also didn't pull away and that gave him some hope, which was until he pulled back just enough to look at her. There was no emotion there whatsoever.

"See," she sneered at him, "nothing." With that she turned away from him, she couldn't let him see the tears falling from her eyes as her heart broke in two in her chest. She couldn't allow him to die alongside her as she was overcome by the darkness because she could feel it coming once again – she had felt it building slowly over the last year and the curses she had absorbed had only quickened the process, she was running out of time, they all were.

He fought back his tears as he bore his eyes into the wooden deck underneath his feet unable to watch her walk away from him, he heard the echo of her retreating footsteps dying away as he dropped to his knees. The pain burning within his heart was almost suffocating and he was sure in that moment that if he had the ability to do so he would've plunged his hook into his chest and pulled out the treacherous organ if it would only make what he was feeling go away. As he crumpled down onto the ground below him, he did something he hadn't done for centuries – he opened his mouth and let his pain pour out into the air around him.

Her steps faltered as she heard the cry, it had nothing to do with the alcohol, his kiss had made sure to shock her system into sobriety, she couldn't believe how much the sound resonated within her and she knew why – she felt the exact same feeling.

Emma stretched her arms out in front of her, moaning slightly at the sensation of her muscles awakening once again. Having patrolled in the cruiser until the early hours of this morning she had slept late into the afternoon, Henry would no doubt be home soon – after he had swung by to see Regina first. When she had first been discharged from the hospital Henry wouldn't leave her side and initially Emma had allowed it, it was what the kid needed after all he'd gone through but after a while she noticed how it seemed to be almost overwhelming Regina. It had left her puzzled for days but she had spoken to Henry about possibly easing up on his adoptive mother, she needed time to think and rest. Now Henry had taken to visiting with her for at least an hour everyday – usually after school and in the early afternoon on weekends.

She climbed down the stairs sluggishly from the loft into the empty apartment, her bare feet made slight slapping sounds as she padded over to the kitchen to put on a fresh pot of coffee. The smell always seemed to work on waking her up almost as effectively as the liquid itself. As she turned to rest her back on the counter leisurely she noticed a white rectangle lying on the floor in front of the apartment door. She furrowed her brow making her way across the open plan space and stepped towards it leaning down to pick it up, she froze midway through when the elegant script came into focus. _Oh shit,_ she cursed inwardly.

This looked to be the first of Regina's 'life story' letters to Henry, Emma hadn't even shown him the 'Goodbye' letter yet.

_Oh shit indeed._


	11. Chapter 11

**Just a short chapter to get me back into the flow of things – I cannot apologise enough for how long it has taken me to update! I am so sorry! You won't be waiting as long for the next update I promise! Plus HookedQueen will begin to take place soon, just building up to it, I don't want to rush Regina's recovery!**

* * *

_Dear Henry, _

_I'm not really sure where to start this, I know you are probably extremely confused right now but don't you worry – things will get better. _

He had to remind himself that she was writing to him as if she had died, his throat constricted painfully at this, _she really did want to do it. _Obviously it had been quite a while since the incident and he had visited her regularly not missing the emptiness that still resided within her eyes but she had tried for him and was still trying. They weren't allowed to talk about what had happened yet and at this moment in time they both knew they couldn't even if they wanted to, it was still too raw but upon returning home earlier that afternoon everything had changed. He had read her goodbye letter, he had then received the one he held in his shaking hands now. His voice was hoarse from screaming at Emma and his cheeks were burning with the endless amount of angry tears that flowed from them. He had never once considered that Regina actually wanted to do this, he had almost convinced himself that Mr Gold had put some sort of spell on her to make a murder look like a suicide but with her own tear stained writing in from of him now, it all hit home.

_I promised to tell you my story Henry and I shall, I am also going to do something I have never been very good at – telling the truth. So here goes. _

He turned his head up at the soft knock on his door, "come in," he offered hoping to god it wasn't his biological mother, he was still in no mood to speak to her. He was shocked then when it was his adoptive mother who walked over to his side of the bed. Her eyes immediately fell to the piece of paper in his hands and her heart dropped, she wasn't sure how far he had gotten but upon seeing the dampened letter lying beside him on the bed she brought a shaky hand through her hair.

"Henry, I am so sorry." The shock in his eyes was evident, this was the first time she had said anything that was linked to what she had tried to do, and the despair in her eyes was evident to him as he patted the bed beside him in invitation. She took it gladly.

He looked down slowly at his hands as the bed dipped with the added weight, "Mom?" he didn't glance up until he felt a thin finger underneath his chin. When their eyes locked Henry couldn't help but to throw himself forward and crash into her, he wasn't sure if it was just because it had been so long since he had been this close to her but she felt smaller, thinner even. It worried him. Her frail arms came to rest around his body as he nuzzled into her chest, the warmth of her body was present but her own warmth, her essence was missing. He pulled back slowly to actually look at her, he let out a small gasp at what he saw.

In all of the time that he had been visiting her he had been too caught up in making their time together special that he hadn't truly seen her. He hadn't noticed the prominent cheekbones that held up the sallow skin clinging to them, he hadn't noticed the bones beginning to protrude from her already dainty hands, he hadn't even noticed the greying tinge to her skin. How the hell had he missed all of this?

Regina winced slightly as she realised he was scrutinising her appearance, she had tried her hardest to cover her blemishes with make-up but it couldn't breathe the life back into her, it couldn't fill her with the hope she wished she could bring herself to feel for her son's sake. Regina hadn't left the house for quite some time, she had no need to. Henry came by every day to sit with her and regale her with stories of his day, Emma stopped by once every week to bring her groceries knowing the brunette was still not up to facing the eyes of the less than sympathetic public and she only felt the outside air on her face when she ventured into her garden every so often on a warm night trying desperately to remind herself of the beauty of the world, she still hadn't found it.

Upon receiving Emma's distressed call however stating that the first of her life's letters had arrived and Henry had found her 'goodbye' letter, she had thrown on one of her power suits and had been shocked to find how loosely it hung from her frame, then she felt the familiar ache within her stomach. It had taken her a while to realize that it was actually the feeling of hunger, she had ignored it for so long that she had actually forgotten what it was. _Could I be any more pathetic?_

* * *

_She had clambered into her black Mercedes filled with self-loathing, why could they not just have let me die? Regina still didn't regret her attempt at suicide, in fact she wished it had worked but now…well now she was forced to remain in an existence that broke her all the more with every passing second. _

_As she pulled from her drive she stopped upon finding a dark shadow to be gracing the corner at the end of the road watching her intently. She knew who it was, she could feel the pull within her stomach, the pull to be near to him, to go to him, to run into his arms and never be released from his loving embrace. He had tried numerous times to visit with her at the house but every time he had called out her name whilst knocking, she had simply sunk to the cold floor and held herself together until he gave up only to return another day. _

_Her heart thumped within her chest as she drove closer to him, she was becoming light headed as she got nearer but combatted this by pressing her foot on the gas pedal even harder. The brunette was weakening with every passing day and he knew this, he could feel her need just as strongly as he felt his own. He needed her to get there faster though before she literally wasted away before him. Killian needed to save her, to save them both. _

_Regina ignored the looks of concern she received upon arriving at Emma's apartment, she simply moved passed them and up the stairs that led to Henry's room…Henry's room that was no longer in her house, she only held a shrine of what used to be. She didn't want to just barge in so gave him the option of turning her away by knocking softly. _

"_Come in," his gruff voice had almost stopped her heart but she shook herself, she needed to be strong when facing him, for him. _

* * *

This is how she came to be sat with the one thing she loved with no restraints, holding him in her arms as he cried.

"What happened to you?" his small voice brought her out of her reveries as she drank in the concern on his face, she brought her hand up to stroke his sore, reddened cheek. He flinched slightly at the contact due to the raw skin but eventually leant in to the touch he didn't realize he had missed so much, she smiled gently as his hand came to rest upon her knee. Regina looked down at it as she felt the paper scratch against her black slacks. She looked back up questioningly at hesitant brown eyes. "Will you read it to me?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, so this is just a short one to establish where this is going from here. I will have one more chapter after this that shows us a flashback and afterwards I'll most likely start to incorporate some HookedQueen.**

* * *

_"What happened to you?" his small voice brought her out of her reveries as she drank in the concern on his face, she brought her hand up to stroke his sore, reddened cheek. He flinched slightly at the contact due to the raw skin but eventually leant in to the touch he didn't realize he had missed so much, she smiled gently as his hand came to rest upon her knee. Regina looked down at it as she felt the paper scratch against her black slacks. She looked back up questioningly at hesitant brown eyes. "Will you read it to me?"_

* * *

"I'll do better than that Henry" she breathed, still unsure of what she was about to do but he deserved to know the truth, the whole truth. "I can show you."

Taking the curiosity in his eyes as encouragement, she lifted thin fingers to his temples as she closed her dark eyes and concentrated.

Henry gasped as the room around him disappeared into nothing as he stood in complete darkness for a few moments until something shifted…

* * *

_The young girl flitted through the small house that she knew as home, it was nothing special but she loved it all the same. In the gardens she found her father to be digging, her powder blue dress billowed out slightly in the winds as she moved towards him, dark curls framed her pretty face as she looked on in curiosity. _

"_Daddy?" _

_Henry looked up at the small voice of his beloved daughter, "yes Regina?" _

_She looked him up and down, gone were the clothes of nobility he usually wore. This was a sure sign that her mother had taken another of her trips for the day meaning they were free to be themselves for a small amount of time. "What are you doing?" _

_He smiled down at her; she was like a little doll in her beautiful dress, something which Cora had no doubt left out for her before she departed for the day. He kneeled slowly keeping one leg bent up in order to sit her upon it. She giggled when he grasped her waist to pull her and went on to tickle her sides; he loved the sound of her laughter. It wasn't very often, if ever, that he got to hear it. Regina watched with curious brown eyes as he reached behind him. _

_Henry pulled forward a small stalk; she reached forward a tiny finger in order to touch it gently. "What is it?" he chuckled at her low whisper, to her it was their secret now, something which Cora could not forbid or taint with her scowls and magic. _

"_This my darling," he rested his cheek upon hers as they both looked at the plant in his hands, "this will grow up to become something spectacular, something so beautiful that people will stop in their tracks just to gaze upon its beauty, just like you my dear." She blushed at his description before replying. _

"_No, what is it really Daddy?" he laughed and remembered her age, children only ever wanted to know the simple answer to things, metaphors and such weren't of any interest to small, imaginative minds. _

"_It will grow into an apple tree Regina," she gasped in awe, he could almost hear the cogs ticking in her brain, she would be wondering how something so small could grow into something so wondrous, "with the right care and love it can grow to be healthy and strong, do you think you could do that little one?" _

_She turned to her father with comically wide eyes, "you want me to care for it Daddy?" _

_He nodded whilst tucking a strand of almost black hair behind her ear, "yes my dear, I do. Do you think you could do that for me?" _

"_Uh huh," he could see the excitement glistening within her eyes and it made his heart swell, it had been so long since he'd seen his little girl look so happy. He didn't realize how long it would be until he witnessed it again…not until Daniel._

* * *

Henry gasped as though a bucket of ice water had been thrown onto him; he looked up into the same deep brown eyes he had just been admiring only now they held no excitement, no happiness, only pain.

"That was just to show you what it was going to feel like Henry…do you want to see more?" she sighed deeply when he nodded vigorously. He stopped her though as she moved to place her hands once again on his head. Looking down at him with confusion she waited for him to speak.

"Is…" he hesitated, unsure of how his question was going to be taken, how it was going to affect his mother in her vulnerable state.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly as she spoke, "Henry, I want you to know that you can ask me anything while we're here okay? Don't be afraid, it's what I wrote the letters for, to tell you just who I am."

He nodded in understanding but still didn't lift his gaze from his hands wringing in his lap, "is that who you named me after?" he held his breath as he waited for the inevitable tears but upon looking up he found a warm smile to be playing on his mother's lips which he couldn't help but return.

"Yes my dear, it is." Her heart warmed briefly at the memory of her beloved father, but it was soon replaced with the knowledge of what she had done in later years to him.

Henry noticed the change in expressions on Regina's face and couldn't help the guilt that crept in even though she had told him otherwise, he knew it hurt to think of who she used to be as opposed to who she was now. "I think I would have really liked him."

She smiled once more at the boy below her and wondered whether this was how her father had felt when he looked down upon her in her childhood, the love that burst forward with every look, every smile and every hug. "Yes Henry, and he you my boy."


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, let the HookedQueen begin! Sorry I've kept you waiting for this to start for so long but fear not, I have answered your wishes and finally allowed Regina to feel again – let me know what you think!**

* * *

_What would I do without your smart mouth  
Drawing me in, and you kicking me out  
Got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down  
What's going on in that beautiful mind  
I'm on your magical mystery ride  
And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright_

* * *

As she returned home later that evening she thought of all that she had shown her son, the stolen moments between herself and her father. The many balls she had been subjected to in order to find a suitor, the first time she rode a horse and the feeling of freedom she felt for the first time in her life when flying through the air on the animal's back.

The transference of magic had drained both herself and her son but neither minded, in fact Henry was eager to spend more time sifting through Regina's life. He was beginning to get a grasp on who she really was and had been more than shocked to witness first-hand the kind and gentle girl she had once been. Innocent just like himself in a world full of darkness, it also helped him to identify just how broken she really was. He feared for the future memories in which her life started to change, he feared for the young girl living at the hands of an abusive mother, he was afraid for the young adult who was going to have her heart broken and most of all for the young woman forced to marry a man almost three times her tender age. He wasn't sure whether he was ready for that yet but he knew he needed to see it, needed to understand just what had happened to the woman he called mother. Maybe then she could truly begin to heal, maybe she could come back to him and be the person he wanted her to, the person he knew was still inside of her just aching to get out.

* * *

He hadn't meant to end up in front of her house, hadn't meant to allow the pain back in upon wondering what she was doing at that very moment. Was she reading? Walking alone like a ghost through the spacious mansion? Was she thinking of him? His tears fell without his knowledge as he came to sit on the porch way outside of her house. All was silent and dark; it echoed the emptiness inside of him in which his heart was supposed to just keep beating, what for? He felt as though it no longer had a purpose, it had been made to be given to her and Regina had rejected it taking her own with her.

It hadn't felt like this with his beloved Milah…not the same crippling pain he was feeling now, there was no doubt in his mind for his love for his murdered mistress but he was born to unify with Regina. To become one and the same with the woman, two hearts beating stronger as one. He would wait for her for a lifetime if he had to or he would die alone, she had filled the entirety of him leaving no room for any other. He couldn't bear the thought of letting anyone but her in and he wasn't going to allow himself the pain of trying. His chest tightened as the images of her lying motionless in his arms, on the hospital gurney, tiny in the hospital bed flashed before his eyes. He hadn't noticed when it had happened but somehow his forehead was pressing against the cool painted wood of her porch. He allowed himself to lay there before feeling his eyes grow heavy with the sleep he had not let claim him in a long time, not since she had left him on the ship screaming with the agony that tore through him at her absence.

* * *

Her thoughts were elsewhere as she looked up at her white prison, what was once her sanctuary now felt foreboding and full of loneliness. What once held the memories of Henry's first steps, first words, first declaration of love for his 'Mommy,' now only held reminders of her failure.

She had not seen the pirate since she had been sure to make clear that his feelings were not shared and so wasn't prepared upon seeing him face down on her porch. In the light she couldn't tell whether he was breathing or not and so wasted no time in running towards him and dropping to her knees. She wasn't sure what had come over her but her body was somehow faster than her brain. Placing her hands on either side of his face on the floor she hovered with her left ear over his mouth and looked for the rise and fall of his stomach whilst simultaneously awaiting the feeling of his breath on her ear. Upon feeling its soft, steady caress against her earlobe Regina breathed out the breath she wasn't aware she had been holding.

She sat back on the heels of her feet and looked down at him, Killian's features were softer than she had ever seen them and she couldn't help but reach a shaky hand forward to move through his hair. She smiled subconsciously at the tender sigh that came from his lips as she made contact, his eyes fluttered open as he awoke from the light slumber into which he had fallen.

"Regina…" he breathed, it was unclear to her whether it was a question or a declaration but she nodded anyway, the smile never leaving her lips as his hand now lay over the one she held on his cheek. The warmth flooded from her wrist, up her arm and into her chest, she couldn't deny it any longer, couldn't allow the darkness to continue to take hold of her when this much love was right in front of her.

A tear escaped his eyes as he took in the woman above him, he could hear the tremble in the breaths she took as she fought to keep her own tears at bay. Slowly, as not to scare her or break the moment, he sat up so that he was now just below her as she kneeled on the wood next to him. His hand never left her own, she felt him sliding it down his cheek until his lips rested upon her palm softly. Her eyes fluttered closed of their own accord at this tender showing from the pirate.

When her eyes opened once more she gasped at the sheer love she found reflected back at her in Killain's eyes, she could feel the adoration pouring from him and was sure her heart was going to fight its way out of her chest just to get to him, to give itself to him willingly before she had the chance to close off once more.

Wordlessly she began to rise from the ground, her fingers intertwined with his as she led him inside. The light in the foyer remained off as she closed the door softly behind them. Killian slowly led her up the entrance steps and then continued to move up the main stairwell, he never took his hand from hers as they ascended through the household. Neither had spoken a word yet as both wanted to remain under this spell until the stark light of day would force the confessions from their lips, tonight though they just wanted to be together, to be with each other without the complications of the outside world.

Somehow he knew where her room was, the smell of her was so unique to him now that he was sure he would recognize it instantly no matter where they happened to be. The room was dark except for a dim light bathing the room from one of her bedside lamps, it was just enough to allow them to see one another whilst still being low enough to remain in the haze of what this was.

He lowered her gently to sit on the edge of the bed as he pulled the navy blue blazer down her slim arms, there was nothing sexual about his actions, and they were only filled with an impossible amount of tenderness. She could do nothing but gaze in awe at his face and allow him to care for her. He gently placed the garment on the chair in the corner of the room; he kneeled as her returned and removed her right heel. The reddened skin was soothed back to a healthy pink as he rubbed her foot as gently as possibly, she sighed at the contact. No one had ever been so caring in regards to her, she felt a small kiss placed on her ankle as he repeated the action with the other foot.

Her eyes were closed with her hands on the bed bracing her weight as she allowed him to continue, his hands came up tentatively to begin unbuttoning her silk blouse, she looked at him with warmth in her eyes indicating her permission. When he was done he then proceeded to take off her black slacks, the coolness of the air sent chills to her skin but it wasn't long before he had pulled a silk nightgown over her head. She was momentarily disorientated when Killian pulled her into his strong arms only to lay her down with her dark hair fanning out over the feather down pillow underneath her head. He pulled the thick quilt up over her small frame and placed a tender kiss on her forehead, she closed her eyes at the contact, instantly missing it as he moved away to leave.

Her cold hand on his wrist stopped him, turning around he found deep brown eyes to be studying his own before she spoke finally, it was only two words but those two words held the strength in them he had needed to hear since they realized their feelings aboard his ship all that time ago. They held the need of tonight in them and the promise of tomorrow, they held his heart in them and as he lay down beside her, her head over his heart and his strong arms holding her tightly he allowed sleep to take him once more with them echoing throughout his mind.

"_Please stay." _


	14. Chapter 14

"_Now that one…" he spoke softly as he pointed with one arm into the sky, his elbow remained strong propping him up on the deck of the ship, "that's my favourite."_

_Her brow furrowed as she tried to pick out the one he was talking about, "they all look the same to me."_

_He laughed as he sat up and turned to face her, "it's my favourite because…" she gasped slightly as he leaned forward into her personal space, "it's the last thing I see before…" he finished his sentence with a soft kiss to her lips. She smiled into the contact at his cheesy come on but couldn't help the way her heart fluttered when he was tender like this._

_She sighed contentedly as he pulled away but kept his face close to her own, they were three days into their journey to Neverland and ever since the night in which he had comforted her neither had been able to resist the pull they felt towards one another, it was almost magnetic._

"_You know…Greg Mendell said something funny to me," Regina gave a small smile but he could see the uncertainty playing amongst her features. She leaned into the contact when the palm of his hand came to cup her cheek. The brunette kept her eyes on his as she spoke, looking for any flicker of doubt or dishonesty in Killian's eyes, "he said I'm a villain," nothing yet, "and villains don't get happy endings."_

_Whatever she had been expecting it wasn't laughter and certainly not the bellowing chuckles that were erupting from his mouth when he threw his head back towards the skies. "You're right my love," her heart stopped in her chest, had this all been a lie? A ploy to set her up for heart break once again? "that is funny…"_

"_I highly doubt that pirate," she practically spat removing herself from his grasp; he had been expecting it though. As she moved he used her moment of vulnerability to leap forward and pin her beneath his body. He held both of her wrists in his good hand above her head as he propped himself up on his elbow in order to keep from crushing her tiny frame. "Kindly remove yourself from me."_

_He grinned at her smirk before giving a chaste kiss to her full lips, "I only laugh because Mr Mendell has finally highlighting something that I have long since known."_

_She furrowed her brow at this, her confusion causing her to momentarily forget the anger and betrayal that had built inside of her. "And what is that?"_

_Felling the change in her, he slowly released her arms and used his now free hand to brush a dark lock of hair from her face, her eyes fluttered closed at the gesture as he leaned in to whisper into her ear._

"_We must not be villains," before she could correct him he continued on, "because I have indeed found my happy ending."_

* * *

He awoke to the feeling of being watched, he feigned sleep for a few minutes more as he was too afraid of what the morning light would bring. Last night she had been too tired and weary to stop him from caring for her but…what now?

As if in answer he shivered slightly at the feel of her fingers drawing soft patterns on his bare chest, she was still in his arms even as she had awoken…what did this mean for them?

"You can open your eyes you know."

He almost laughs at the comment; he had forgotten how well they had become acquainted on the journey to Neverland and how well they could read one another. Slowly he blinked his eyes open in order to adjust to the morning light cascading in through the window. The warmth of the rays were comforting on his back although not quite as warm as the smile he was greeted with upon finding her gentle face so close to his own.

"Morning" she looked afraid, fearful of his reaction in being so close to her, would he reject her like so many others had? Never.

"Morning beautiful," he didn't miss the blush that coloured her cheeks upon his greeting, his palm came to rest on its favourite place on her cheek, his thumb brushed back and forth over soft skin. As she opened her mouth to speak he placed a finger over full lips, "let's leave the talk of all that until later love…"

She visibly let out a breath of relief, truth be told she was certainly not ready to address everything that had gone on between them in the time since they had returned to Storybrooke. On the ship it had seemed so easy, it also now felt like it had happened a lifetime ago. She felt like a completely different person now, he had managed to pull out the side to her that only one other had seen – Daniel. The rest of the town had sent her spiralling back into a shell of a being, just the way they liked it.

Then there would have to be talk of what she had attempted to do, the only fear she had was whether he would ask if she regretted it and at this moment in time…she wasn't sure that she did. That frightened her more than anything.

He traced her hairline with a feather-light touch and revelled in the way she shivered, they had yet to consummate their relationship and while the lust was definitely there…their mental state was far too delicate at this moment in time. He was simply content with the feel of her in his arms, he still couldn't truly believe that she was actually there, even with her looking directly up at him with her eyes softer than he had ever witnessed them.

She was so small, so vulnerable. It almost broke his heart to picture her on the bathroom floor lying in a pool of her own blood as she had been. What hurt the most was the fact that she had yelled at him because he saved her…she actually had wanted to die. His heart clenched as his fingers tangled into her dark hair pulling her forehead to his own as he closed his eyes tight and inhaled a laboured breath.

Regina allowed the contact, she revelled in it. She could feel his desire for her radiating from him in waves and her body couldn't help but reciprocate. Her hand moved up to interlace her fingers with those in her hair. She allowed her eyes to flutter closed also as they simply breathed one another in. When his free hand found her small waist she allowed him to pull her flush against his body. Regina's free hand lifted to grip the back of his neck as they clung on to one another.

"Please…" she only realized he had spoken from the way his lips brushed against hers as he spoke, her eyes opened to find his locked on her, they were full of unburdened desperation. "Please, don't leave me…"

Her throat constricted at his words, never had someone wanted her in such a way. Never had it ever been anyone's desire for her to stay alive, for her to carry on breathing day after day and never had she ever reciprocated the feeling…until now.

Her skin was on fire but she shivered as she clawed her way impossibly closer to him, "I won't," both hands were now caressing his cheeks as she felt his tears coat her skin, "I will never leave you Killian."

He lifted his head in order to capture her soft lips with his own, they kissed with an unbridled passion as tongue's stroked lovingly together, not for dominance but for compassion, companionship, something both had merely tasted in their youth before it was taken away. Now he understood what Rumple had meant when he said that his soul had been looking for hers, he could almost feel them weaving together as a unit, he had moved so he hovered above her now. Upon pulling apart for air they merely looked at each other, studying and drinking in their lover's features.

* * *

"So, how do you think she's doing kid?" Emma asked Henry as he attacked his bowl of fruit loops with ferocity she hadn't seen in a while, the past two months hadn't been easy for him as he jumped back and forth with his emotions, and anger would dissipate to despair as guilt would flip to blame. Today though was the first time she had seen him even begin to return to his old self.

Henry seemed to consider his answer, worrying his lip before meeting Emma's gaze. "I think…I think she's trying to be better but…I don't think she is."

Emma's brow furrowed at that, it could be the fact that it was still early and so her brain wasn't fully functioning yet or it could be that his explanation matched the situation perfectly – confusing. In the handful of times that Emma had seen Regina she could never quite decipher if the woman looked better or the same as she had when she had attempted suicide.

She didn't know what transpired between mother and son when Regina would come to visit Henry; they ended up burrowed away in the boy's room for hours on end or at least until Henry would fall asleep. A simple nod was the only thing exchanged between the two mothers before Regina would take her leave into the night. Emma knew better than to ask Henry what they were doing but it didn't stop her from being curious.

Later that day she found herself walking along Mifflin Street towards the Mayoral Mansion, she didn't know why…well, she did…she wanted to check on Regina, to know that she really was improving and not still trudging along her road of darkness alone. Even though she knew she would most likely be rejected she wanted to make the offer of an ear to talk to just to be sure.

She didn't know what she would find upon reaching Regina's house but it certainly wasn't what she saw, she ducked below the hedges low enough to hide but not so much so that she couldn't see what was transpiring between the brunette and Killian Jones.

* * *

"I hate having to leave you my love," he stood with one of her dainty hands in his own whilst his free hand stroked through her dark hair. She leaned into the touch whilst resting a hand over his heart; it brought her comfort to know that now it was beating for more purpose than to keep him alive, it was reaching out always to join with her own.

She sighed contentedly as he moved to give her a soft kiss full of the same tenderness that caused her heart to clench. "It's not for long, will you come back tonight?" she knew it sounded needy but now that she had someone it felt unbearable to be alone in her house now. She released the breath she didn't know she had been holding when he smiled up at her.

"Of course I will, you just say the word," another soft kiss to her full lips, "and I'm here."

She knew the response she should give but she just wasn't ready for that yet, instead she turned her face into the palm that had begun caressing her cheek and placed a tender kiss into the center. He understood that the gesture meant much more than mere affection and appreciated the fact that she was trying.

With one last lingering kiss he reluctantly pulled away, their hands only parting upon reaching the very edges of fingertips.

* * *

Emma had her answer now, the woman standing on the doorstep watching as her love walked away was nowhere near fixed…but neither was she completely broken anymore.


End file.
